The Lost Girls
by ruxgluk422
Summary: 20 years later... Gabriel meets a mysterious girl whom he falls in love with. But can he handle Shea's secret? Will revisitprovide updates on all original main characters that were not killed off in the movie. COMPLETE.
1. Mysterious Ways

He didn't know why they had never left. The two of them were the only ones that had stayed. Everyone else had moved away or moved on. But they had stayed. They grew up and grew older. They had jobs and a mortgage. They had the home, the family, and the dog. They were living the American dream. It was so far from the nightmare that had brought them together; the nightmare that almost destroyed them. The nightmare they instead destroyed.

Or so they thought.

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A girl danced in the middle of the crowd, almost to her own song. She seemed oblivious to those around her and perhaps even the band playing. With Gabe, there was no doubt that he didn't notice anything but the girl swaying and rolling her hips out of time to the music. Her hair was long and black, almost straight but not quite. From this distance, it seemed her eyes were black too. Her skin was almost translucent. She wore a loosely fitting silky green top and jeans. Jewelry twinkeled in the firelight at her neck, ears, and hands. And then she looked up, over the bonfire...and straight into his eyes.

Gabe's breath caught. There was an intensity in her eyes that made it hard to breathe...it made him hot and at the same time frightened him. A fire burned behind them that was sexual and...predatory. Her lips turned upward slightly, and she turned away.

He shook his head, slowly. He looked away from the girl and her ill-suited yet seductive dance. He could be a bit shy around a girl but this... this wasn't shyness. This was something else entirely, something he couldn't put into a single word. This was wanting to find out every secret behind those mysterious black eyes, no matter how long it took. This was wanting to throw her down in front of everyone and take her, like an animal. This was wanting to hold her to him until the stars fell from the skies. She had looked at him like she was the huntress and he the prey, yet it was he who felt an intense animal instinct taking hold of him. Gabe took a few deep breaths and looked back across the bonfire. She was gone.

Gabe's eyes scanned over the crowd, trying to see where the girl had gone. Seeing nothing, he pushed his way free of the audience. He could see the boardwalk, covered with people milling across the planks. He knew he'd never find her amongst that crowd. Sighing in exasperation, he looked out towards the beach. The moon hung bright and heavy over the water; each crest of the surf was illuminated like bits of glass. There, the girl walked slowly across the beach, her shoes in one hand.

Gabe ran down the width of the beach towards her. As he drew closer, he slowed down. The girl turned to him when he was still easily 15 yards away, and took a defensive stance. Gabe smiled at her. "Hi," he said. "My name is Gabe. I saw you at the concert, dancing...um...I wanted to say, uh, hi...well, I wanted to get your number...

The girl looked at Gabe and smirked. He hated that. Within seconds, he'd managed to look like a complete and total idiot. So much for his animal instincts. He wasn't some geek that was inept around girls. He wasn't Don Juan, but hey, he was barely eighteen. He did pretty well in comparison to many guys his age. Considering the girls his age weren't exactly the pinnacle of maturity themselves (giggling was a constant), he _was_ a Don Juan, at least of the high school crowd. But this time, he didn't have the upper hand, and he knew it. This girl looked at him with the confidence, no, the _cockiness_ he could only fake. Gabe wanted her so much he could taste it.

"What's your name?" the girl suddenly asked Gabe, effectively knocking him out of his trance. _Have I been drooling?_ he thought. "Errr... Gabe... Gabriel." he replied. The smirk on the girl's face didn't waver. "Nice to meet you, Er-Gabe-Gabriel." With that, she turned around, and started walking away.

Gabe was shocked. He could handle the girls at school, sure, but couldn't this one at least squeeze out a little giggle, put him a little more at ease? "Wait! Wait!" Gabe yelled after her. "What's your name?" The girl turned back to him and grinned. _A wolf,_ Gabe thought. _She reminds me of a wolf. _"Shea." The girl replied matter-of-factly to Gabriel, and continued walking away.

At this point, Gabe was more than interested. He was enthralled. He was frustrated. He was a little pissed off. "Hold on for a minute!" he said for a moment, rather forcefully. "Can I just _talk_ to you for a little bit?" This girl, Shea, was driving him crazy. "Without stuttering? Now that might impress me." Gabe frowned. Shea laughed at him. _Finally, a little encouragement,_ Gabe said to himself. He jogged a short distance to catch up to her, and began walking side-by-side along the shoreline, under the light of the moon.


	2. Warming Up and Getting Cold

Gabriel and Shea walked along the beach, side by side. "So, where are you from?" Gabriel tried. Shea laughed. "I doubt you've even heard of it." she replied. Gabe was confused. "Why not?" Shea laughed again, softly this time. "I'm kidding. Actually, I'm from San Francisco. I lived there all of my life, until...well, until recently." Gabe smiled. "I've lived in Santa Carla every day since the day I was born. My parents were high school sweethearts, first loves, and all of the corny happy-ever-after clichés you can think of," he offered. Shea's lips twisted wryly. "Don't be so quick to discount the clichéd and ordinary," she replied.

Gabe grimaced. He'd messed up. Again. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you or anything..." He said. "Don't worry about it," she told him. "My parents married because my mother got pregnant with me. Neither of them were too thrilled with the situation. Ever. The first chance I got, I took off. You get over things." Shea told him. Gabe looked confused for a moment, then realization dawned upon him. "Wait a second! You mean you're a runaway? Where do you sleep? How do you eat? How are you supposed to take care of yourself..." Shea looked suddenly angry. "I've HAD to take care of myself for as long as I can remember. There wasn't anyone who gave a damn if I ate, slept, or even if I came home at night. I'm no worse off than I've ever been!" Her footsteps quickened, and she began to walk away from him.

Gabe jogged the few paces he needed to catch back up with her. "Hey, wait, I didn't mean that the way it sounded," he told her. "It's just... you shouldn't HAVE to take care of yourself. And I can't help but wonder what would happen if someone tried to hurt you or something." Shea calmed down a bit. "I know what it's like to be afraid. I know what it's like to be on my own. This way is easier. Sometimes when it's between the hell you know and the hell you don't, ignorance really is bliss." Shea suddenly grinned. "And you thought your life was full of clichés!"

Gabe grinned back at her. "Besides, I'm not sleeping in the gutters or foraging through trash cans. Our kind tends to travels in packs."

"Your kind?" Gabe asked, amused.

"Yeah, our kind. I live in an abandoned building with some friends of mine. Other...runaways. We don't all have the same story, and we don't even know the story of one of them, but we have an understanding. Not so much a family, but it works." Shea explained.

Gabe smiled. "So, in your own way, you're kind of living like rock stars."

Shea laughed. This time, she really laughed, full-bodied, with her heart in it. "Yeah, that's us. We're rock stars all right. What about you, anyway? What's your story?"

Gabe shrugged. His life wasn't anything to be ashamed of; in fact, many kids probably wanted to be him. When stacked next to the life of this exotic, independent nomad, however, it seemed incredibly boring.

"There's...not really much to say. Senior this year, grades are okay, not really big into extracurriculars or anything." he finally said.

"Oh, come on. There has to be more than that. So you do nothing in your spare time but try to pick up girls on the boardwalk? Because if so, I'll be highly offended." Shea even managed to affect a haughty tone to her voice.

Gabe couldn't help but laugh, if a little self-consciously. "Well, I do have a motorcycle. At the present, it's more like a motor, and a cycle. Actually, it's more like a collection of parts in the garage that don't seen to want to work as a whole."

Shea burst out laughing. "So, do you come from a couple of Hell's Angels, or something?"

Now it was Gabe's turn to laugh hysterically. "Far from it! My mother's a teacher, English if you want to be precise. She tells me I'm going to kill myself on it. My little sister, Lucy, loves it. Any opportunity I have to work on the bike, she views as her opportunity to sit in the garage and give me a detailed description of a day in the life of a ten-year-old. My father, well, my father is my father. I think he was born uptight. I couldn't picture him on a motorcycle if I tried. He tells me how high the insurance is going to be on it, how my having it will raise the medical insurance, and so on and so forth. He's a publisher who is in dire need of a sense of humor."

Shea, eyes twinkling, asked him, "If they hate the bike so much, why don't they make you get rid of it?"

Gabe smiled conspiratorially at her. "My grandmother. She has a "boys will be boys" philosophy which I am very grateful for. She told them that if they made me get rid of it, then it was only fair that she inform me of their wild teenage antics." At this point, Shea was laughing so hard, she was wiping tears from her eyes. She motioned to sit down, and the two of them sank down into the sand. Relaxing back into the sand, Gabe continued, "Somehow, I highly doubt that they've done anything all that shocking, but I think they're a little paranoid I may turn out like my uncle, so they're not willing to push it." He looked at her mischievously. "Actually, there's a part of me wondering if there's not something they're hiding that I'd trade the bike to know." Shea fell back onto the sand, giggling. "At least they sound entertaining," she said. "I guess they have their moments," Gabe said smiling, and looked down at her. His green eyes met her dark ones, and his smile wavered slightly. His eyes grew more intense. "I thought your eyes were black, but they aren't, are they? They're brown, just dark brown. Like amber in shadow." Shea smiled softly. Gabe leaned down and over her until their faces almost touched. Her gaze warmed under his, and he said, "I was right. Just like amber." He pressed his lips to hers, softly kissing them again and again. He kissed the corners of her mouth and caught her lower lip between his lips. Her hands came up around him, one under his arm and the other to entwine in his curly brown-black hair. Gabe slid his arms under Shea, and around her.

Shea whimpered softly, and Gabe intensified the pressure of his lips. Shea's lips parted, and Gabe's tongue slipped inside, sweeping along her lower lip before sliding up to mate with hers. His hand slid down to her hip and held her to him. They remained like this, kissing, breathing, until cold water suddenly came splashing up and around them.

Gabe gasped. Shea screamed. A strong rogue wave had come slid up the shore and effectively (and literally) put a damper on their activities. Gabe blinked saltwater from his eyelashes as Shea wiped it from her face silently. They looked at each other. Almost simultaneously, they began laughing. "Hey," Gabe said jokingly, "At least I'm pretty sure you'll never forget me." Shea giggled and brushed a wet curl off of his forehead. He pushed himself up off of the beach and then lifted her to her feet. His leather jacket was still dry, but his jeans, like all of Shea, were soaked. She wrung water out of her hair and top, and rubbed water off of her skin. Gabe pulled off his jacket and wrapped it around her. "Aren't you cold?" she asked him. "No... I don't really get cold that easily," Gabe replied.

They made their way back to the boardwalk. When there, Gabe suddenly reached for Shea's hand and pulled her to him. "I want to see you again," he whispered to her. Shea smiled. "I don't exactly have a telephone or anything," she replied with a smile. Gabe frowned. "Then meet me here. Tomorrow night. Same time." Shea, still smiling, nodded. Gabe, relieved, smiled back. She pulled his jacket off to give it back, but he stopped her. "I don't want you to get cold. Besides, it's a way for me to convince myself you'll show up tomorrow." Shea giggled. Gabe kissed her softly. "Goodbye, Gabriel," Shea said, and turned away into the night.


	3. Come With Me

Gabe stood on the boardwalk, listening to a band play. He stood in the same place he stood when he had first seen her the night before. The sun had set long ago, and the bonfire blazed in front of him, hot and wild. The kids around him moved and writhed to the music, but Gabe's mind was focused on one thing. _Shea._

He was terrified she wouldn't show up. Terrified he'd come on too strong. It was obvious she was skittish, despite her arrogant attitude. Hands in his pockets, his eyes scanned the crowd back and forth, trying to glimpse that long thick mane of black hair. His own short curls danced merrily in the breeze, at odds with his focus demeanor. Gabe had already been here for over an hour, having left home the moment the sun went down. The boardwalk came to life with the night.

The past day had been unusual, to say the least. When he finally returned home, Gabe couldn't sleep. Instead, he tossed and turned, unable to tear the girl's image from his mind. When he finally fell asleep, it had been near dawn. He'd slept through most of the day, and hadn't even ventured out of the house in the afternoon. Instead, he spent the afternoon shut in the garage, working on the multitude of parts that were supposed to constitute a motorcycle. Maybe it was the thought of showing the bike off to Shea; maybe it was Lucy's absence all day as she was spending the weekend with their grandmother. Their parents had decided to take a weekend off for themselves, something about "rekindling the spark." Gabe didn't care if they were kindling a spark or a forest fire, for the next two days, he had the house to himself and total peace.

Gabe's attention was suddenly drawn to a young woman dancing around the fire. For a moment, he thought it was Shea. Disappointed, he looked out through the crowd again. He didn't know how this girl managed to get to him like this, so quickly. It was like she was inside of him and he didn't know how to get her out. Didn't know if he _wanted_ to get her out. "Boo..." a voice whispered softly behind him.

Gabe startled for a moment. Smiling, he turned to the voice and pulled Shea into his arms. "You're going to have to try a lot harder than that if you want to scare me off," he whispered to her.

Shea's lips upturned into a soft smile. Gabe lowered his head to hers and kissed her softly. "Although, I have to admit, you almost had me scared you wouldn't come," he admonished. Shea couldn't resist. "You were right," she said. She held up his leather jacket. "I just had to return your jacket. After all, it's only polite."

Gabe bared his teeth and growled softly. Shea giggled. "Let's get out of here," he said. Clasping her hand in his, he pulled her away. Shea's brow creased in confusion when she realized they weren't heading towards the beach. "Where are we going?" she asked. Gabe stopped. Turning to her, he said, "I thought we could go back to my place. There's nobody there for a few days, and so far, it's been pretty watertight."

Shea arched an eyebrow. "Now _that_ was a good one. Did you just think of it, or have you been working on it since last night?"

Gabe sighed. "Look, I know how it must sound. I'll admit it. I want to be alone with you. I want to be alone with you somewhere where I'm absolutely sure we're alone, where someone's not going to walk up on us, or where we're at the mercy of the elements. We don't have to do anything you don't want to do. We don't have to do anything, period. I just want to be with you. I _need_ to be with you."

Shea continued to look uncertain. She replied, "I'll go with you. Just remember one thing. I live on the streets. I survive on my own. Trust me when I tell you that I am fully capable of handling my own."

Gabe raised his hands in mock surrender. "I trust you. Believe me, word of honor." He held his hand out to her and led her towards the parking lot. He'd brought his mother's car (hey, this _was_ as close to an emergency as he was going to see this weekend), a practical Dodge Stratus. His mother still didn't have the heart to sell what was left of her youth to soccer-mom minivan hell. Which, right now, he was very grateful for. Gabe led her to the passenger side and opened her door for her. He crossed back over to the driver's side and climbed in, then turned the ignition. After shifting the car into gear, he slid his hand into Shea's reassuringly. He figured she probably still didn't trust his motives. Hell, _he _didn't trust his motives. He would love for something to happen tonight, but he also knew it wouldn't change a thing he felt for this girl if it didn't. The drive didn't seem to take any time at all, and then they were pulling up to his home. He killed the engine, got out of the car and walked over to her side, opening her door for her. Offering her his hand, he led her up the front steps and into the house. Inside, she stepped into the living room and looked around. She could see the small dining area through the room. Both were informal and friendly. This wasn't a place to showcase anything; this was a place where a family lived and loved. Shea span around and face Gabe. "I have to admit, I am a little curious about this motorcycle."

Gabe laughed weakly. "Oh...well, okay, but don't say I didn't warn you." Gabe led her through the rooms and into the kitchen. There, he opened a door that led to the garage and flipped on a light. A bike lay in the center of the room. It was actually mostly intact, most noticeably missing were the wheels lying nearby. A few parts still lay strewn about, a seat a few feat away, a fender nearby. "It looks like you're almost finished," Shea remarked. "Yeah, earlier, I more done than I expected.. If I'm lucky, I might even get it finished tomorrow." Gabe replied. Shea ran her fingers along the frame, then turned and walked back to Gabe. They headed back inside the house. "So, what else is there in this grand tour?" she asked. Gabe grinned and took her by the hand. Leading her up the stairs, they entered a rounded foyer. Opening doors, he pointed out the different rooms. "This is my parents room. Next to it, my father's library. Notice the intense smell of old books and dust." Shea laughed at his mocking commentary. "This is the bathroom, home to the jacuzzi tub my mother demanded my father install when Lucy decided to be almost two weeks late and then keep her in labor for 20 hours. Next, we have the room of said squatter, the infamous Lucy. You'll notice the room is, at the present moment, a ballerina's dream come true, because that's what Lucy is. At least this week. Last week, she was The Little Mermaid. Finally, we have my room, which you'll notice is an old book, ballerina, and mermaid-free zone. And yes, that is on penalty of death." He narrowed his eyes at her, but a slight grin playing at the corners of his mouth ruined the effect. "Once upon a time, there was a fairy princess incident. I won't go into details, but big brother's room has been declared Lucy-free."

Shea couldn't help but ask. "What in the world is a fairy princess incident?" Gabe shook his head vehemently. "Oh, no. We're not going there. It wasn't pretty."

"Oh, come on," Shea cajoled. Gabe sighed. His shoulders sank in a mockery of defeat. "Once upon a time, there was a fairy princess named Lucy. Lucy decided that in order to be a true princess, she needed a prince. She thought her handsome big brother would fit the bill nicely. However, he wasn't _already_ a prince, he was just a big brother. So Lucy thought and thought of a way to turn her brother into a prince."

Shea looked at him, confused.

"There once was a frog who, with the kiss of a princess, turned into a prince. So, Lucy figured, if she _pretended_ I was a frog, and then gave me a kiss, then I'd turn into a prince for her. And what better way to pretend your brother is a frog than to turn his room into a pond?"

Shea clutched her sides, hysterical. Her legs grew weak and she leaned into Gabe for support. "Go ahead, ha-ha. You're not the one who came home to find your baby sister had hauled in a few hundred buckets of water into your room."

Slowly, Shea regained control of herself. "So, did Lucy ever get the chance to try to turn you into her prince?"

"Sadly, no. Mom was the first one to discover her plan, and Lucy went running straight under her bed the second she started screaming." Gabe appeared to think carefully. "She was about four or five at the time. Actually, I don't think we saw her again until she was at least seven."

Shea grinned at him. "So, do you think it's too late?" she asked. "Too late for what?" Gabe replied. "To see if you'll turn into a prince."

Gabe grinned. "You know, there's only one way to find out..."


	4. Just Like You Imagined

**WARNING: THIS CHAPTER IS RATED MATURE. IT IS NOT SUITABLE FOR SOME READERS AND MAY BE CONSIDERED OFFENSIVE. THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS DESCRIPTIONS OF SEX AND SEXUALITY. DO NOT PROCEED IF YOU ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 18 OR MAY BE OFFENDED BY THIS MATERIAL.**

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Gabe pressed his lips to Shea's, his hand sliding into her long hair. Their tongues met and tangled. Gabe wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tightly to him. He couldn't get close enough to her. Holding her like this, he was almost holding her feet off of the floor, since she was just under five and half feet tall. With his own 6'3" height, holding her up was nothing for him. Shea noticed it however. She broke the kiss, and looked into his eyes. "Oh, well, it was worth a try," she said impishly.

Gabe reached down to her waist and tickled her ribs in retribution. Shea squealed and ducked under his arm into his bedroom. "So, this is the inner sanctum?" she asked him. Gabe shrugged. "It's where I sleep."

Shea looked around. A few band and movie posters covered the walls. The room was clean, a desk with a computer stationed in the farthest corner, a full-size bed in the center of the room. There were two dressers, one with a small stereo on top, and a guitar and amp in another corner. Shea walked over to it. "You play guitar?" she asked him. "Badly. Very badly," Gabe informed her. Shea continued to walk around slowly, gazing at the various posters and items on each surface.

Gabe couldn't believe it. He allowed her to continue her inspection, although there was a part of him that wanted to throw her down on his bed and have his way with her all night. Imagining her silky black hair against the vivid red of the sheets, his jeans tightened slightly. He knew what he'd said to her before she came, and he'd meant it, but that didn't mean he couldn't _think_ about it, right? She looked up at the wall at a poster for _300._ Beside it, the Nine Inch Nails logo hung. She reached up and pushed her hair out of her face and off of her neck. Gabe's breath stopped. Almost as if she'd heard it, Shea turned and looked at him. There was an intensity in her eyes as they stared straight into his. Suddenly, she turned to face him straight on. Her hands moved up to the hem of her ivory shirt, and slowly, she lifted it up and over her head.

As the shirt fell to the floor, Gabe's heart started to pound. He could hear it in his ears. Quickly, he crossed the room over to her, and pulled her roughly to him. He kissed her. Hard. Shea met his mouth with hers, kissing him just as wildly. Gabe's hand's roamed up and down her back, and he broke the kiss only to trail his lips along her jaw, her ear, her neck. His hands found her bottom, and he pressed her into the growing hardness at the clasp of his jeans. A sound emitted from Shea's throat, somewhere between a moan and a growl. One of her hands was tangled in his hair; the other, digging into his shoulder.

Gabe pulled his head up from her and looked down into her eyes. "Are you sure? Tell me now if you want me to stop." Shea looked up into his green eyes. He'd never seen her eyes look so much more black than brown than they did at this moment. Without saying a word, she pulled his head down to hers, and kissed him. Gabe's hands reached around her back and undid the clasp of her lacy white bra. Sliding it from her shoulders, they never broke the kiss. Shea pressed her breasts into Gabe's torso and heard him moan. Gabe leaned down and slid his arm under her knees. Lifting her into his arms, he carried her to the bed and laid her down upon it. He moved to cover her, his mouth on hers while his hand roamed up and down her body. With one arm supporting him, the other was free to move up her soft tummy, and cup one full breast. He squeezed softly, and Shea gasped. His lips moved down as Shea pulled his shirt up and over his head. His mouth found her breasts as his hand undid the buttons on her jeans. Shea's hips lifted off the bed when that hand found its way inside.

Shea writhed, her hands tangled in his hair. Her body moved to the rhythm of his fingers, only losing it when too intensely distracted by his tongue or teeth. Before she knew it, he had slid her shoes and pants off. Lying naked before him, Shea was shocked when Gabe suddenly pulled completely away. He looked down at her, his gaze over every part of her body, as if he was committing every detail to memory. Shea's hands went to his jeans, and unfastened them. He stood to pull them and his boxers from his body. He lay back down alongside her, his hand sliding back up her thigh. This time, Shea's hands were free to roam his body as well. Gabe moved over her, and settled on top of her. Suddenly unsure, he looked at her again. "Are you sure?" he asked her. Shea smiled. Again she didn't answer. Instead, she reached down between them, and led him to her entrance. With a moan, Gabe sank inside of her. They moved as one, and when Shea screamed out her pleasure, Gabriel smiled and followed.

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It was hours later before Gabe woke up. He smiled as he looked down at the girl wrapped around him. Brushing her hair back, which was strewn over the two of them and the sheets, he pressed a kiss to the top of his head. Shea stirred. She jerked and sat straight up in the bed. "What time is it?" she asked. "Ssshh. It's only about half past three," he told her. "I need to get back home," Shea said. She swung her legs over the side of the bed, and reached for her clothing. Gabe reached a long arm around her torso and pulled her back to him. Leaning over her, he said, "Stay. Nobody's going to be back until tomorrow. We can spend the day together. We can go anywhere you want." He wiggled his eyebrows at her. "Or we can just stay here."

Shea snickered and pushed him off of her. "No. I have to go. The others will be wondering where I am. It's a rule. We know where each other are so we know if we need to go look for someone." She reached down and started to pull her jeans on.

"Let me take you back then," Gabe offered. "No, that's okay," Shea said, a little too quickly. Gabe's brow furrowed. "Look, are you embarrassed because you don't have a regular home? Don't be. I don't care about where you live, I care about you." Shea startled a little bit. She glanced back at him over her shoulder. "You sure you want to deal with my, uh, "roommates?" I'll warn you, they don't tend to like new people so much. Gabe grinned. "Any friend of yours, baby. Any friend of yours."


	5. A Home For Wayward Girls

A short time later, they were back in the car, Shea directing. She seemed a little excited, but Gabe suspected she was more keen on getting home than bringing him. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and pulled her to him. Shea directed him through Santa Carla, back past the boardwalk but still along the shoreline. Soon, they reached the cliffs. "Pull over here behind that brush and park," she directed.

Gabe did as she said, although he couldn't see anything along the cliff. He followed Shea as she exited the car and started walking towards the cliff. Suddenly, she stepped off it. "_Shea!_" Gabe cried out, shocked. Amazed, he heard her call back, "What?" Gabe ran to the edge of the cliff and peered over. Standing on a long ledge not far beloow him stood Shea. His breath rushed out and relief and she snickered. "Did I scare you off yet?" she asked mockingly. "That was a pretty good try," Gabe shot back.

Jumping down to the ledge, he followed her along it and around the cliff. The ledge seemed to form a rough pathway, running down to the beach below. However, when Shea rounded the cliff, he could see a derelict building not too far away. Gabe's jaw dropped. This wasn't some old building...this was a mansion. Granted, it looked like a mansion that had been used as a set in a war movie, but there was no mistaking the size and architecture. Shea looked at his surprised face and grinned. "Trust me, darkness is much more flattering," she said. "Apparently, it used to stand on top of the cliff. There was an earthquake a long time ago, and the cliff collapsed, taking the house with it. The house landed as you see it. I'm guessing that they thought the sea would eventually take it back, and eventually forgot it was down here. Nobody really comes out here anyway, since technically it's government property now."

Gabe remained impressed even as they came up to the front of the mansion. It was none the worse for wear, definately; entire wings had been ripped off, though whether by the earthquake or the sea he couldn't tell. Most of the windows were shattered, and the building looked as though it was going to collapse into itself at any moment. As if reading his mind, Shea said, "Don't worry, it's sturdier than it looks."

They didn't enter by the front entrance. Gabe didn't think they could if they wanted, since the house was slanted slightly back and the front porch no longer in existence. Instead, Shea led him around to the side, and a window whose panes were destroyed. Stepping inside, Gabe could see what appeared to have once been a bedroom. Crashed into the wall appeared to be the splintered remains of a massive bed. They went through the room and out into a hallway. The floors were more level in the back; apparently, the house landed in such a way that only the front section ended angled upwards. Sconces, once beautiful and intricate but now turned due to lack of polishing, lined the walls. Finally, Shea turned a corner into a brightly lit room.

Gabe thought he'd been amazed before, but he hadn't seen this. What was apparently a ballroom now served as a sort of common area. An unlit chandelier, many crystals missing, hung from the ceiling. The center of the room was filled with ratty furniture, chaise lounges, sofas, chairs, and small tables apparently salvaged from other areas of the house. Among them were strewn three girls, each of whom looked curiously.

"I'm back," Shea announced. "Guys, this is Gabe. Gabe, this is Katja, Sophie, and Layla." They nodded at each other, the girls staring him down so as to make him uncomfortable. Katja was tiny, with ice-blond hair and blue eyes. Sophie's hair was a blondish brown, her eyes a darker blue. Layla's hair was bright red, and her eyes were a piercing green. It was amazing how different each of these girls looked. The only similarity between them seemed to be a tendency towards pale skin. "So, Gabe, how long have you and Shea know each other?" Layla asked, motioning for him to sit. Gabe quickly sat where she had gestured. "Actually, uh, just since last night." Shea sat down beside him, and he wrapped his hand with hers. Layla smiled as if amused. "That long already?" she asked. Although the meeting was awkward at first, what with a guy speaking to four girls from a completly unfamiliar world, Gabe quickly found himself at ease with the group. It was obvious they were all a little wild, which wasn't surprising. They didn't treat him as an outsider, as he'd expected, except for a few verbal jabs here and there.

Before too long, the girls seemed to drooping. Shea looked particularly exhausted. "I think you might be needing some sleep," Gabe commented. "I think you're right," Shea replied.

"You want me to stay with you?"

Shea seemed to startle a little bit, as if deciding her answer. She looked down at her lap and said, "No, I think you'd better go. Besides, if you stay, I doubt I'd actually get any sleep."

Gabe laughed softly. "You're probably right." Shea stood and took his hand. "I'll show you out."

Making their way back through the old mansion, they stopped just before the window they'd entered by. "Can I come by tomorrow?" Gabe asked her. Shea smiled. "I'd like that. Better make it late though. I get the feeling I'm going to be sleeping for a while." Gabe kissed her softly, and stepped through the window.

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When Gabe got home, he found himself unable to sleep for more than a few hours. He could still smell Shea in his bed, and it distracted him to no end. Before long, he gave up on getting any more sleep, got up, and headed down to the garage. He couldn't believe the amount of work he'd gotten done these past few days. He didn't doubt that a part of him was probably wanting to show the bike off to Shea. In any case, he was soon to get that chance. He was almost shocked as he finished screwing on the wheel. Finally, he staddled the bike and turned over the engine. The bike roared to life. Gabe was almost surprised; a part of him hadn't expected anything to happen. However, the purring of the engine disproved that theory. Shouting out loud, he reached over to the wall and opened pressed the automatic garage door opener. As the bike pulled out onto the street, Gabe felt like whooping for joy. He had the (now fully functioning) motorcycle _and _the girl. Gabe couldn't think of a moment where it was so good to be alive.


	6. An Unexplainable Occurance

Gabe couldn't wait for day to end. More specifically, he couldn't wait to go see Shea. The sun hung low in the sky, and Gabe decided to go ahead and head towards the mansion. Shea had told him sometime after dark, but a part of him was worried the bike would break down between his place and Shea's. If he left now, and it broke down, he could still make it back to his place and pick up his mother's car. He would still make it to Shea's before too late, and then he wouldn't have to suffer the embarrassment of explaining how his motorcycle had lived and died all of about 10 hours.

Gabe rode through Santa Carla, wind ripping through his curls. He knew that once it parents were home, he would have to wear a helmet (as his mother had said, "I love you, so if I ever see you on that thing without a helmet, I'll bash your head in so you're prepared for what it feels like,"), so he was going to enjoy it for the time being. He pulled up to the cliff, turned off the bike, and headed down to the mansion.

Once inside, he headed straight to the ballroom, but there was no sign of Shea or any of the girls. None of the lanterns were burning, and the sun was fading fast, so he was having a hard time seeing anything. "Shea?" he called. "Layla? Katja? Sophie?" Still no answer. Gabe began looking through the rooms of the mansion, searching for a sign of the girls. He walked through bedrooms, sitting rooms, what he thought was a music room, and even a room that looked like some sort of old-fashioned projection room. Each were filled with mostly broken furniture, cobwebs, and layers of dust. In fact, he couldn't tell if any of the girls had ever been in any of these rooms, because there was no sign of anything that didn't look original to the house. That wasn't the case in the last bedroom, however. Gabe's eye caught on the glint of a material lying across a table in the room. Walking closer, he saw it was an ivory shawl with golden designs embroidered on it. Long tassels hung from it, and not a trace of dust was on it. In fact, it even looked like the table it lay on was dusted, perhaps to prevent the shawl from dirtying. Gabe inspected the shawl more closely. He couldn't really imagine Shea in something like this, so he figured it must belong to one of the other girls. He sat the shawl back down, then turned and walked back into the hallway.

At this point, the hallway was mostly dark, and Gabe found his way partly by running his fingers along the wall. He returned to the ballroom, and lit one of the laterns so that he could see. The place was actually pretty creepy, with nobody else there and the long shadows cast by the lamp. Gabe found himself studying the room, the paintings on the walls, the faded wallpaper, details he hadn't noticed the previous night.

"Gabe!"

Gabe jumped, nearly dropping the lantern. Turning, he saw Shea approaching him, followed by the rest of the girls. "Snuck up on us, did ya?" asked Katja. "You're lucky, we usually just kill intruders first and ask questions later."

Shea shot her a dirty look. Taking Gabe's hand, she led him back to the sitting area. Sophie was busy lighting more lamps and candles. Layla and Katja each quickly sprawled out on a couch. Katja lit a ciggarette.

"I look everywhere for the four of you. I couldn't find you anywhere," Gabe stated. Shea laughed. "I believe it. We still get lost." Layla gave Gabe a cross look. "You shouldn't be wandering around this place without anyone. It's dangerous in some places," she told him.

Gabe ignored the remark, or perhaps he was just too focused on Shea. "I want to show you something," he told her. "What is it?" she asked. Asking the others to excuse them, Gabe led Shea up to the top of the cliff where his bike stood. "You got it finished!" Shea exclaimed. "Yep, just today, actually. Want to go for a ride?" he asked. "I think I might be persuaded," she replied with a grin. Gabe climbed on and started the bike up. Shea climbed on behind him, and before long, they were flying along the streets. Gabe wasn't sure how long they drove, but he didn't care. Shea was pressed up tightly behind him, and he would have driven to the other side of the country to keep her there.

When they returned to the mansion hours later, they noticed a pile of food and a bottle on one of the tables. "Hey, help yourselves. Where've ya'll been?" Sophie asked. "Went for a ride on his new motorcycle," laughed Shea. The other girls oohed and otherwise mocked them. "Ha ha ha. You wouldn't be laughing it you knew how long it took me to get that thing to work," Gabe told them. He started eating a container of fries Katya had handed to him. "Want something to drink?" Layla asked. "Sure, thanks," he replied. Layla handed him a bottle of wine. Gabe opened it and took large gulps. Besides the salty fries, the windy drive had dried out his mouth. Shea watched him, then leaned against him. He set down the wine and the fries and wrapped his arms around her.

"Hey Shea, you gonna go all motorcycle mama on us now? Because I'll warning you, you show up in some tacky all leather get-up and I'll kick your ass."

Shea and Gabe burst out laughing at Layla's unprompted comment. He raised an eyebrow at Layla. "I don't have a problem with leather outfits."

"I'll just bet you don't," Layla replied. They continued bantering back and forth like this, with Katja and Sophie chiming in as well. Suddenly, a wave of dizziness struck Gabe. The others continued laughing and speaking, they hadn't noticed anything. But Gabe felt it coming on again. This time, it was worse. It was like he was burning from the inside out. Needles pierced at his flesh, and it felt as though someone had punched him in the gut. A very large someone. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and the only word he could get out was, "_Shea..._"

Shea's head jerked around to look at him. The smile fell from her face, as did the other girls'. Pulling his head into her lap, she ran her fingers through his hair. "Ssshh..." she soothed. Gabe was panicking. Why wasn't anyone trying to get help? He tried to speak, "My..parents...will be home...tomorrow. They'll... be looking for me." Shea ignored the warning. "Don't worry. You'll be back in your bed before they ever get back. They'll never even know you were gone. Try to relax. It's okay." He felt like he was going to either disintegrate or spontaneously combust, and this was her only answer? Gabe fought the dizziness, but soon, the combination of it and the pain took over. With a gasp, Gabe passed out.


	7. A House Divided

Gabe awoke the next morning with a start. The sunlight pouring through the window nearly pierced his eyes and made the throbbing in his head worse. Dragging himself to it, he managed to yank the curtains closed. He immediately turned around and fell back into the bed, noticing the clock on his bedside table. It was already past noon. Gabe raised his head and stared at the clock in disbelief. His body ached; every muscle and joint seemed to be sore. Despite the late hour, Gabe was exhausted. He laid his head back down, ready to fall back to sleep. Suddenly, he realized that he'd had no idea how he'd gotten home last night.

He was lying in bed, his shoes and jacket removed. But he was sure he hadn't removed them. He was sure he hadn't returned home on his own, on the bike, the night before. He couldn't remember leaving the derelict mansion the girls called home. Actually, most of his recollection of the previous night was hazy at best. He clearly remembered arriving at the house, and searching through the rooms for Shea or anyone else. He remembered the four of them showing up, and hanging out in the ballroom. It was in the ballroom that his memory faltered. He remember talking and joking with the girls. He remember eating and drinking. _The drinking..._ He knew that he'd drank down the wine pretty fast. He must have overestimated his ability to handle it. Suddenly, Gabe groaned and rolled over. _I got drunk off of my ass, _Gabe thought. _I've probably humiliated myself in front of all of them. In front of Shea._ Gabe allowed himself to wallow in self-pity for a few moments, and then it hit him. _Drunk or not, there's no way in hell even all four of those girls managed to get me back here. _His brow furrowed. Even though he'd had the bike, the bike would have probably proven more of an encumbrance than any help. _My bike!_

Gabe lifted himself off the bed and ran down the stairs. Actually, considering the soreness in his muscles, it was more like a quick hobble. Once down the stairs, he made his way through the kitchen and yanked open the door to the garage. His bike stood in the middle of the room, looking just as it had before.

Surprisingly, this wasn't much of a relief for Gabe. He was now positive there was no way these girls could have gotten both himself and the bike back here. There would have been no way they could have lugged him up that narrow cliff. Even if he had been able to walk, if he was drunk enough to forget the evening's events, he was too drunk to make it up that ledge. It was narrow enough that you could only walk single file along it.

Gabe's thoughts were interrupted by the front door flying open and slamming against the wall. "GABE! GABE!" a childish yet incredibly loud voice called. Gabe grinned and closed the door to the garage. Lucy came running full speed through the kitchen and into her brother's arms. Gabe picked her up and inspected her outfit. The ballerina outfit was still on, yet now there was the addition of... wings? "So, you finally turned into a little bug?" Gabe asked her. Lucy frowned and stuck out her lower lip. "I'm not a bug, I'm a fairy!" she exclaimed. Gabe could hear their parents pulling their suitcases into the house. Gabe set Lucy down, much to her chagrin, and headed into the living room. "Hello, Gabriel, stay out of trouble this weekend?" his father asked. "For the most part," Gabe replied sarcastically.

Gabe still felt like hell. The sudden onset of noise and confusion wasn't helping either. Needless to say, he wasn't in the mood for whatever his father was about to get at. His mother noticed his surly demeanor. "Gabriel, honey, are you feeling all right? You don't look so well." She raised her arm to touch her hand to his forehead, but he pushed it away. "I'm fine, Mom. I'm just tired." His father watched the interaction through narrowed eyes. Suddenly, he chuckled softly. "What's so funny?" Gabe asked dryly. His father looked at him crossly. "Do you think we're stupid? Look at you. You look like you've just been run over by a truck. I'm not so old that I don't recognize it. This is what we get for trusting you to leave you alone for the weekend?" he asked Gabriel. "Wait a second, what is going on?" his mother asked, looking anxiously between the two of them. "He's hung-over. He's probably spent the whole weekend partying. I'm telling you right now, young man, this sort of thing will not fly in my household!"

Gabe eyed his father angrily. "Then maybe I ought to excuse myself from your household." With that, Gabriel spun on his heel and headed through the kitchen. He jammed his feet into a pair of boots by the door and pulled a jacket down from the hook. He was stepping through the door when he stopped, turned back, and pulled a pair of sunglasses from a drawer in the kitchen. He headed into the garage, slamming the door behind him.

Inside the house, Gabe's parents spoke softly. Lucy looked on with interest. She'd never seen her father and her brother have an argument like that before! Her father turned to her and said, "Lucy, honey, go on up to your room so your mother and I can talk." Lucy pouted and stamped a foot in protest, but she knew better than to disobey. She hadn't seen her daddy look this mad, ever.

Lucy's mother turned to her husband and told him, "I want you to go after him! I don't want him going around town in the mood he's in. And he's going to explain what that little display was about, and whatever he's been doing this weekend."

Her husband's lips tightened. "I know. I'm just giving myself a minute to calm down. Let me make sure I don't strangle him before I can speak to him. Besides, he won't get too far on foot."

As if on cue, they heard a tremendous roar. One they both recognized. The sound of a motorcycle engine turning over. They looked at each other, eyes widened in shock, then both ran through the kitchen.

They each made it into the doorway of the garage to see Gabriel peeling down the driveway. "On foot, huh? Won't get far?"

Gabriel's father ran his fingers through his short dark hair. Hair he'd passed on to his son. Hair that he was going to drag his son home by. He turned and walked back into the house.

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Gabe went the to the only place he could think of to go... the mansion. Stumbling inside, he called for Shea. The ride had exhausted him. The sunlight made his eyes feel as though they were burning, even through the dark lenses protecting them. He felt as though he would collapse at any moment. He was able to make it to the ballroom and flopped onto a lounge. He was asleep before his head hit the chaise.


	8. Revelations

When Gabe reawakened, he felt disorientated. He definitely felt better than he had earlier. Gabe looked around the ballroom, and moved through the house, calling for the girls as he went. If he could find one, he could find Shea. He had to figure out was going on. He knew something wasn't right. "Gabriel!" he heard a voice call behind him. _Shea, _Gabe thought with relief, he turned to find her running towards him. She flung himself into his arms. Pulling his head down to hers, Shea kissed him hungrily. Gabe found himself lost in her, all thoughts of the weird feelings he'd been having swept aside. A sudden, fleeting feeling of vertigo was all it took to remind him. Shea noticed his distress. "Come," she said simply, and led him back to the ballroom. She pushed him down onto the same chaise he'd slept on a short while before, and stretched out alongside him. Gabe pulled her tightly to him. She was comforting, despite his current state of mind.

"Shea," Gabe began, "I think there's something wrong with me,"

Shea looked up into his eyes. "Of course there is. You haven't fed."

Gabe's eyes fluttered closed. "I can't think about food right now. Just the thought of it even makes me feel bad. I woke up feeling awful. Everything aches. My head is killing me. I don't even know how I got home last night? What happened, Shea?

Shea looked at him intensely. "It was the change, Gabe. The change is hard on everyone."

Now, he was confused. "The what?"

She looked at him, and Gabe knew in an instant that whatever she was about to say, she was serious about it. "The change, Gabriel. Last night, it was blood that you drank from that bottle. Vampire blood. The transition is hard on the body, but once you feed, you'll feel better than you ever have. Stronger. Faster. You'll never have to worry about growing old or dying. You're free, Gabriel. We are the same now, you and I."

Shock propelled Gabe off of the lounge and back a few feet. "You're crazy. You're seriously, totally, insane. My girlfriend is a psychopath."

Shea smiled at Gabe. "Look at me. You know I speak the truth."

Gabe felt like he couldn't breathe. "This is ridiculous. Vampires don't exist." Shea looked at him sadly. As he watched, her forehead changed, grew more prominent. Her nose and lips drew back to reveal sharp, pointed fangs. "We do, Gabriel. And you're one of us. If you don't feed, you'll die." Her features relaxed back to their normal state. "I can't lost you, Gabriel."

Gabriel looked at her, his heart breaking. One part of him was screaming at him that she was a monster, but the other part... When Gabriel looked into Shea's eyes, he saw something different. It was pain. She was fine with showing him lust. Anger. Passion. Happiness. Even something he'd begun to hope was love. But he never thought that she would ever let her guard down enough to let him see that she wasn't invulnerable. Without a word, Gabe reached for her. Shea looked shocked as he pulled her into his embrace. "We'll figure this out," he told her. "One way or another, we'll figure this out, okay? Together." He felt her shoulders shaking and realized she was crying. He held her more tightly to him, running his arms up and down her back. Shea cried until she couldn't cry any longer. Gabe lifted her chin with his fingers so that she faced him.

Gabe didn't feel like she'd done this _to _him, he felt she'd thought she was doing it _for_ him. For them. It was done, and he doubted his present condition was likely to change. He was surprised at how in control he felt. He doubted that if Shea hadn't been in such a condition, that he could have been. "I need to go back home," he told her. "I have to try to act like everything's normal until we decide on a plan, okay?" Shea nodded. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. "If I'm a vampire, how did I make it over here in the middle of the afternoon?" he asked her. Shea looked up at him. "Until you feed for the first time, you're only a half-vampire. That means that you can still tolerate the things that vampires cannot; however, not to the extent that a human can."

Gabe nodded. "I'm going to go ahead and head back. I'll meet you back here, tomorrow night, no matter what, okay?" Shea wrapped her arms around him again. Pressing her cheek to his chest, Gabe almost didn't know what to do about this newfound vulnerability. He suspected that a part of her feared him becoming angry. He didn't know what had happened in her past to create it, but he knew he the moment he'd first seen her that he'd kill anyone who tried to hurt her. Finally, he broke the embrace and kissed her goodbye.

During the ride home, he thought about everything that had happened. How quickly it had happened. How much he loved Shea. He knew that there was more to this situation, things she wasn't telling him. The idea of being a vampire was almost surreal. He hadn't had much of a reaction, because he didn't know how to react. He'd turned into something he didn't believe existed. Gabe was in a sort of shock, his mind unable to full grasp this foreign concept.

Gabe pulled into the garage, turned off his bike and headed upstairs. When he stepped inside the kitchen, the fact that he was a vampire finally hit him. _He could hear his family's heartbeats._ Gabe froze and listened. He could even hear the dog, exhausted from its stay in a kennel, snoring in Lucy's room. Quietly, he crept up the stairs, his mind focused on the sounds. When he reached his door, it creaked slightly as he opened it. That was all it took. His parents' bedroom door flew opened, and he was met with angry stares. "Downstairs. Now."


	9. Our Son is a Vampire & It's Your Fault!

Gabe sat at the kitchen table, facing his very angry parents. He'd never pulled anything like this before, so he didn't know what to expect. A part of him didn't really care. He was a vampire. It wasn't like he was going to be able to remain their little boy anymore. He had no idea what to say to them, but he knew there was no way he could explain _this._ He'd already determined that he'd have to leave home. For starters, he wasn't sure if they were safe with him here. For another thing, most families don't have a vampire son. His father was the first to speak, which was no surprise to Gabe.

"Gabriel. Your mother and I don't know what's going on with you. I know we've given you a bunch of grief about the bike and things, but that doesn't explain this. We go away for one weekend. One weekend, and we come home to an entirely different person."

_You have no idea, _Gabe thought.

"I don't know if it was drugs or alcohol that left you looking the way you did this morning. You can either tell me, or I will find out. That scene in the living room earlier? Does not happen again. Ever. And you had better trust me that if you ever take off on that bike again like that, I will dismantle it into so many pieces you'll never be able to put it back together."

Gabe's mother had started slowly tugging on her husband's robe, her mouth open in shock. Gabriel looked at her curiously, and realized she wasn't looking at him _or_ his father. He followed her gaze to see what caused such a reaction, and froze. Behind him, in the mirror that hung on the back wall, Gabe saw a transparent image of himself. He could see his mother's shocked expression through his own opaque reflection.

"Michael." she said. "Michael!"

Gabe's father got fed up and turned to his wife, "I'm trying to talk to him, here."

Her hand drifted up to point at the mirror. Michael looked into it and gasped at how he saw his son.

"Jesus, Star, he's not on drugs, he's..." Michael trailed off.

Star stared at her son with an angry look on her face. "So, were you going to TELL us you were a vampire, or were you just going to sit there all night?"

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Gabe still hadn't said a word. The shock of his mother's question had, for the most part, rendered him incapable of speech. His mother, however, seemed to have the opposite problem.

"I can't believe this! I can not believe this! I told you, Michael! I told you we should have left Santa Carla _years_ ago! There's nothing but vampires! This town is infested with vampires like slums are infested with cockroaches. That's what they are. Vampire cockroaches.

We could have gone to Nevada, like your mother, or to New York, like Sam, but no. You had a job and you couldn't just up and leave like that. Hope it was worth it. Our son is a damn vampire!"

Michael didn't know what to make of this. He'd never seen Star in such a state. "Look, Star, we're going to get this fixed. We'll find out who the head vampire is, and then the whole problem will be over. We can handle it." He didn't even seem too convinced.

Star turned and faced the two of them, fire in her eyes. "Oh, you bet we are. We're calling out everyone we can who can possibly help us stake this son-of-a-bitch. We didn't go through all of that to get rid of our own vampirism just to see our son end up one of them!"

If Gabe thought he was shocked before, now, he was completely stupefied. "Wait, wait, wait a second. Are you guys seriously trying to say that you were _vampires?"_ He asked incredulously. Star waved her hand at her son dismissively. "Not for long, and it was when we were your age."

"Actually, it's how we met," his dad offered. "Sit down. Considering the situation, I'm guessing it's time you heard this."

Star humphed. "Don't you think we have a few other things to worry about besides this story at the moment?" she asked.

"Actually, babe, at the moment, I think it might be important. Why don't you try to come up with a plan, and I'll clue Gabriel in?

Star sighed and walked out of the room, muttering, "_Now_ we need to tell him about our fanged phase. When _I _suggested it, it wasn't a good idea. I told you we should have told him..."

Michael chuckled softly and started, "It all started in 1987 when your grandmother, your uncle Sammy and I moved here to stay with your great-grandfather..."

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By the time Michael finished the story, Gabe's head was whirling. He'd known his mother had gotten pregnant with him during their sophomore year of college. She'd taken time off for Michael to finish his degree, and then she'd returned to finish hers. That was why there was an 8-year difference between Lucy and himself...they'd held off on having another child until both of them had their careers going. What he hadn't known was the details of their relationship until that point. All he'd known was that they'd dated through their senior year.

"I can almost wrap my head around you and Mom being vampires. And I'm seriously going to use the fact that the two of you rode around everywhere on a motorcycle against you. But, seriously, Grandma was _dating_ the head vampire?" Gabe asked.

Michael laughed. "Hey, think of how it shocked us. Grandpa killing the guy by driving through the house and sending him into the fireplace to burn was even weirder. Not to mention the fact that he'd known there were vampires all along. Luckily, it worked out in the end." Michael paused thoughtfully. "But Grandpa's house was pretty much destroyed.

"Well, now you know my tale. Now I want to hear yours."

Gabe took a deep breath. As he began relaying the events of the past few days, he started to realize the similarities between his and Shea's story and his parents.' It didn't take long to catch his father up to speed.

"So this girl, this Shea, is she a half-vampire too?" his father asked.

Gabe frowned. "Seriously, I have no idea. I've never seen her in daylight, but on the other hand, I've never seen her feed, and she was with me every night the past few nights."

"Do you think she's the head vampire?"

Gabe's face tightened. "No. Whatever she is, she doesn't get hurt. No matter what. If by some freak chance she turns out to be the head vampire, I'll stay a vampire before I let her get hurt."

His father raised his hands in acquiescence. "Hopefully there won't be anything to worry about. I'd say the chances of her being a half-vampire to a vampire are fairly even at the moment..."

His comment was interrupted by a knock on the door. They heard Star come down there stairs rather quickly and answer it. Father and son looked at each, each puzzled as to who could possibly be here at this hour of the night.

Lucy Emerson swept through the doorway and stood in front of her son and grandson. "I spend a lovely weekend with my granddaughter and namesake, which my grandson is much too old to do. While home by himself for the first time, he gets himself turned into a vampire."

She eyed Gabe closely. "Next time, you're going to grandma's, dear."

Noticing Michael's shocked look, she turned to him and said, "Oh, don't look at me like that. This isn't my fault. I haven't had a date in _years._"


	10. Rally the Troops, We've a Vamp to Stake

**AN: **_Gabriel's sister Lucy will hereafter be referred to as Little Lucy, Lucy Jr., or by some other means to indicate that she is the younger one, in order to avoid confusion._

_Special thanks to Ghostwriter for your reviews._

Lucy slid off her coat and sat down with her son and grandson. She smiled at Gabe. "It's okay, honey. We'll find a way to make everything right again."

Gabe arched a dark eyebrow. "Grandma. I don't have a boo-boo. I'm a vampire. I'm supposed to _make_ boo-boos."

His grandmother gave him the look that always straightened him up when he was boy. "Watch your tone, young man. Your father got all moody when he was a vampire, too. I didn't take any crap off of him either."

"I'm guessing this must be the gist of the "wild teenage stories" you always threatened Dad you'd tell me?" Gabe asked.

Lucy laughed. "Part of it."

Star walked in the kitchen and sat down between her husband and mother-in-law. "Michael's already filled him in on the whole thing with David, Max, and the rest of them."

Lucy snorted. "David. Somebody should have strangled that kid, not given him fangs. Did your father tell you that David and his friends were so out-of control, Max went after them so that I'd be a vampire mommy to all of them? He thought it would help to keep them in line."

Gabe drew back a bit. "So you were actually the "prime target," so to speak?"

Lucy couldn't help herself. She preened a bit. "Well, I've always been considered quite the catch," she said.

Michael yawned loudly. "I think that it's probably in everyone's best interest if we try to get some sleep. Mom's just gotten off a flight, so I know she's tired. I can guarantee Star and I are. You're going to be awake all night, but the rest of us can't handle that. We're not vampires anymore. So I'm going to put Grandma in your room for the night. Don't bite anyone."

Gabe shot him a dirty look. His parents and grandmother headed up the stairs. Gabe could hear his father asking his grandmother, "How did you manage to get a flight that quickly?"

By this time, it was already in the very early morning hours. Only an hour after the three of them had left, Gabe was asleep on the sofa. His grandmother woke that afternoon, and his parents a few hours after her. They had been exhausted, between their trip and the events of the previous evening. His grandmother had closed the curtains for him, blocking all sunlight from the living room where he slept. It had been hard to convince Lucy that she couldn't wake her brother. The fact was, she truly couldn't have woke him no matter what she would have tried. Before Gabe awoke, late in the evening, the doorbell rang. Michael, Star, and Lucy had all been in the kitchen eating dinner. Michael sighed heavily and said, "Great. Why do Witnesses always manage to come during dinner?" He missed the small grin his wife and mother passed as he headed for the door.

Opening it wide, Michael's jaw dropped. "Hey, Mike! Heard you had another vampire problem! Don't worry, I'm here to help, and I brought backup." Michael was shocked to see his little brother Sammy standing at the door. Behind Sammy stood three straggly looking young men. Sammy, now a comic book writer, still had yet to achieve the maturity of an adult. He'd managed to have a few minor run-ins with the law when he was younger, mostly of the drunk-and-disorderly type. Although Sammy had cleaned up his act and was doing well in his job, Michael tended to prefer to keep their relationship to a holiday-visit minimum. He loved his brother. He would die for his brother. It was tolerating him in close quarters that tended to cause a problem.

As Sammy and his cohorts filed in, Star and Lucy walked in. Star told her husband, "Oh, by the way, I didn't just call your mother. I called your brother too."

Michael frowned. "I can see that. Why didn't you _tell_ me?" he asked. "Because I didn't want to hear you complain about it all night," Star replied. Michael sighed and turned back to his brother. "And who might these three be?"

Michael watched all of their jaws drop at once. The one with the light brown hair, about Sammy's age, answered in a raspy, throaty voice. "Well, then. I guess our services aren't appreciated like they once were," he said to the dark-haired man on his right.

"No...it can't be," Michael said. "Edgar and Allen Frog?"

"Took you long enough," Allen told him. "But do you recognize the third guy here?"

Michael had almost placed him when Star screamed. "Laddie!" She ran up to the man whom she'd protected as a child, throwing her hands around him. Laddie grinned and hugged her back. Now reunited, the group that had once taken out an entire gang of vampires _and _the head greeted each other and played catch up.

Standing back from the six of them, Lucy's eyes welled up in tears. The last time she'd seen all of them together was 15 years ago. They had all attended her father's funeral.

Remembering the day, she tried to dry her tears. Dad would have hated that. His heart had given out one day, and he was gone. Every single one of them came to the funeral as a sign of respect for the man who had once saved all of their lives.

Lucy was snapped out of her reverie by Edgar's next comment. "So, I hear you have a vampire in the house?"

"Well, yes, and it's a long story," said Star.

Edgar pulled a sharp wooded stake from a long cargo pocket on his jeans. "I couldn't care less about his story." he said. "Just tell me were he is and I'll stake 'em."

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Michael and Sam sat alone in the living room after Sam pulled his brother off of Edgar Frog. "That guy was always annoying as hell," Michael informed him. Sam laughed. "Hey, he's entertaining. At I _know_ I'm a jackass. He has no concept of his own jackassery and that's hilarious." Michael frowned at his brother. "You aren't a jackass. Don't get me wrong, a few years ago, you were a jackass and an idiot. You've straightened yourself out." Sam appeared uncomfortable at the compliment. "You still don't look too thrilled to see me," he told him. Michael sighed. "Look, I'm happy to see you. You'll probably make me want to kill you, but that's kind of how our brotherly dynamic works. I'm glad you're here," he told Sam. "What I'm mad about is that my son is a vampire, and I don't know what to do. The only idea we have of who could be the head vampire, the girl who got him into this, he has on a no-staking policy." Sam chuckled. "Boy, does this story sound familiar." Michael's hand shot out to smack Sam across the head, but he ducked the blow easily. "This is my son. I don't even have any clue of who the head vampire is or how to find him." he said sadly. "I'm afraid that I'm not going to be able to say him." Sammy looked at his brother sympathetically. "Well, then...it sounds like this girl might be a good place to start, huh?"

Michael looked at his brother. Finally, they agreed on something. "One question though," Michael asked Sammy. "How the hell did that guy get a stake through airport security?"

Sammy laughed. "Would you believe he had more trouble with the little bottle of holy water?"


	11. The Best Vampire Hunters in the World

**AN: **_Special thanks to Ghostwriter for your reviews and interest. Rather long chapter this time. Thank you, Kaya Nah, for your review and support. Be sure to check out these writers' stories. Find their links on the review page!_

As soon as the sun went down, Gabriel awoke. Needless to say, he was shocked to find not only his grandmother, but his uncle and three strangers gathered in the kitchen with his parents. Little Lucy had been banished to her room so that she wouldn't hear the conversations going on between them. This had left the little girl pouting, and she'd pretty much stomped and threw a fit the entire day. There was no lack of stamina in that child, they'd all learned.

When Gabriel walked in the kitchen, he was first spotted by his grandma. Lucy walked over to him, and kissed his forehead repeatedly. When Gabe finally pulled her away, his uncle walked over and hugged him. "Hey man, I hear you got bit by the family curse. Hey, bit, ha, get it?" Sammy said to know one in particular. His quip was met with groans, and a snicker from Laddie. "You couldn't have just stuck to that guitar I gave you, could you?" At this comment, both Star and Michael groaned. The guitar, when combined with their son's lack of ability to play it, had resulted in numerous headaches for the both of them. Leave it to Sam to give him a present to drive them insane. This time, Sammy chuckled.

"Glad to see you Uncle Sam, but how did you get here so fast? Who are these people?" Gabe asked. "Gabe, this is Edgar and Alan Frog, and that's Laddie McRae," Sam told him. Gabe's eyes raised; he recognized the names from his father's story last night. "These are the vampire hunters? This is the vampire kid?" Gabe asked him. "None other." Sammy replied proudly. "We ended up working together, kind of. Alan's my accountant, and Edgar works on the comics with me. Laddie is... well, Laddie just kind of runs around and does stuff for us. I don't know what you'd call it. He's kind of funny, so we keep him around."

"I spent part of my formative years as a blood-sucking fiend. You have to have a sense of humor about it," Laddie stated.

Sammy continued. "I managed to get us all on a flight in less than an hour from when you called me!" he informed Star proudly. "Yeah, he called the airlines canceling reservations in every name he could think of until he finally managed to cancel enough seats to get us on!" Laddie said with a grin. Michael rolled his eyes. He wasn't surprised. "Okay, hey, yeah, a little underhanded, but I mean, come on, family emergency and all. You would have though they would have bumped somebody when I told them I had a nephew who suddenly got afflicted with vampirism," Sammy stated in his defense.

Edgar suddenly decided to speak up. "We're here for one reason and one reason only. Sam asked us to. We heard that his nephew managed to get in the same situation both his brother and sister-in-law managed to get into. Since we managed to turn them back, he figures we can do it again. Can't blame him, seeing as we are the most experienced vampire hunters in the world. But do not fool yourself. Neither I nor my brother here will hesitate to stake your ass if the situation calls for it. You vamp out, and we get Buffy on your undead ass. You got that?" Edgar asked. Alan nodded approvingly. He didn't seem to talk much. Both of them seemed to be attempting some sort of a "Dirty Harry" expression. Combine that with their combat clothing (which looked suspiciously new), and Edgar's badly dyed-black hair, they looked ridiculous.

Star was the one who broke the silence. "Little early for that mid-life crisis, isn't it, boys?"

If looks could kill, then the look the Frog Brothers shot her probably would have struck her down like the hand of God. Luckily, their looks were about as deadly as their so-called skills.

Michael finally spoke up. "Okay, everybody, cut the crap. We need to figure things out, and fast. I don't know how long Gabe can last like this. It didn't take me long until I felt I was either going to die or bite the first thing with a pulse." He'd already filled in the newcomers with the story as Gabe slept, for times' sake. He turned to his son. "If you're sure it's not the girl, do you have any clue as to who the head vampire could be?"

Gabe shook his head.

Edgar interjected again, but minded his words a little more this time. Star was almost scary when she got defensive over somebody. "Head Vamp or not, it sounds to me like this chick probably knows a lot more than we do." For once, everyone was in agreement with him.

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Gabriel was on his motorcycle, heading back towards the cliffs and the mansion. The others had wanted to come with him especially the slightly over-anxious Frog Brothers, but he'd insisted on coming alone. He knew they'd probably start a scene. The last thing he wanted was to see what would happen if someone started flinging holy water at those girls.

The path down the cliff and to the mansion was easy for him now. He could see as brightly as if it were day, and his sense of balance was incredible. His father had mentioned that vampires could fly, which explained a few things, but he wasn't quite ready to test out the ability yet. He could hear the noises of the girls moving about in the ballroom. Layla was the only one he could hear clearly. He made his way silently, more silently then he could have ever moved before. At the doorway, he stopped and peered around the corner, hoping the girls wouldn't see him. Layla was moving about the room, as if she had too much energy to contain. Katja and Sophie were resting comfortably along the sofas. Only Shea looked unhappy, curled up in a stuffed chair, as Layla badgered her. "You should have come hunting with us. You have to feed. If you don't eat, you'll starve," Layla told Shea. "I told you, I don't feel like it," Shea replied.

Gabe felt a surge of hope. It sounded as if she hadn't made her first kill yet. It could have just been wishful thinking, but then again, it might not. Gabe straightened, then entered the room. The girls seemed startled to see him, or perhaps because they hadn't heard him. Layla grinned. "Hey, newbie, ready to test out your new skin?" she asked him. "Not tonight. Shea, can we go somewhere?" he asked the dark-haired girl. She looked at him for a moment, then nodded. As Shea rose and moved toward him, he noticed Katja looking at him inquisitively. He ignored it, then led Shea out of the mansion and up the cliff. He began to speak, when Shea lifted her hand to his mouth in warning. She pointed to her ear and then down the cliff. Apparently, even here, the girls could still hear them. Nodding, he climbed onto the bike and started it up. Shea climbed on behind him, and he headed down to the boardwalk.

This time, he didn't bother parking where he had before. He parked down that beach, then led her to where the spot where they had first kissed. Shea looked at him nervously, and Gabe kissed her to reassure her. Deep and powerful, it almost made him forget why he'd come. "Shea, I need to speak to you." Gabe said. He pulled her down with him to the sand so that they sat. "Look... I can't be a vampire. I don't think you're too fond of it either." Shea looked down at the sand. Gabe lifted her chin back up so that her eyes met his. "I know why you did it, or let it happen, or whatever. I want to be with you too. I want to help you too. But I need your help to do that. Will you help me?" he asked her. Shea looked unsure for a moment, then slowly, she nodded. Gabe breathed a sigh of relief, then wrapped his arms around her. "We're going to be okay," he said to Shea. "I told you, everything will be okay."

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It had taken some convincing, but finally, Gabe convinced Shea to come back with him to his home. He pulled up to the house and left his motorcycle in the driveway. Taking Shea's hand, he led her inside.

At this point, it was late enough so that most everyone was asleep. Only his parents and Sam sat in the living room. Sam was relating a woeful tale to Michael and Star about his mother's last matchmaking attempt. "The Frogs aren't married. Laddie isn't married. And yet, I must suffer the guilt trips and nagging." Sam stated, almost pouting. Star snickered. "Laddie's still young enough. I doubt the Frogs could get a woman to date either of them. They'd have better luck reanimating a corpse and marrying a zombie." she looked at her husband questioningly. "Do you think there really are zombies?" Michael shrugged, then noticed his son and the strange girl. She certainly was beautiful; pale skin contrasted with black hair and eyes. "Mom, Dad, Sam, this is Shea. Shea, this is my uncle Sam, my mother Star, and my dad Michael," Gabe said. Shea said nothing, only moved closer to Gabe. Gabe had told her his parents' story at the beach. She was in a house full of people who had managed to take out an entire coven, and she wasn't terribly thrilled about that. Star motioned for everyone to follow her in the kitchen, where they sat at the table. The kitchen had started to look like a base of operations, thanks to the Frogs. Gabe was sure there was something seriously mentally wrong with those two.

"Shea, honey, I'm going to start off by telling you that I know how you feel. I've been there. I'm not too thrilled with the fact that you made my son a vampire, but I'm trying to understand because when I was your age, I was too frightened to prevent my husband from becoming one," Star told her. Star wasn't exactly enamored of the girl whose involvement with her son ended with his growing fangs. She did, however, know what is was like to feel terrified and trapped. She also knew this girl was her only means of saving Gabriel. Star continued to speak, with Shea responding little if any. Michael and Sammy stayed silent, realizing that Star was getting somewhere. Gabe's arm never left Shea's shoulders. Star was almost finished speaking. "I don't know how you ended up here, and it's not my place to ask. I do know that you don't look very happy, and from the way my son's described you, I doubt you're the type to wish this on someone else. The only way to turn him back, or any half-vampire, is to kill the head of the coven." Star tilted her head at Shea. "But you're not it, are you?" she asked the girl softly. Slowly, almost reluctantly, Shea shook her head. Shea leaned further into Gabe, as the questioning made her obviously more nervous. Star had to ask though. "Do you know who it is?" she asked her.

For the first time, Shea looked Star in the eye. "Yes," she said. It was the only word she got out before Edgar and Alan burst into the room, stakes raised.

"There she is!" yelled Alan, throwing something to his brother. It was a squirt gun. Edgar aimed it at Shea, and Gabe, having a good idea of what was in it, moved in front of her. It struck him across the face, and it burned like fire. Gabe growled and fell to his hands and knees on the floor. Alan had moved behind Shea, and with some sort of geek war cry, came at her with a stake. Within moments, Shea's face had contorted. She grabbed his outstretched arm and sent him flying across the room. He struck the mirror, shattering it. Before she had time to recover, Edgar was running over the table and lunged at her, stake in hand. He never touched her. Gabriel, his face now contorted as Shea's was, caught Edgar by the throat in mid-air. He growled at Edgar, "NOBODY touches her. Nobody! Do you understand?" Edgar, suspended between two and three feet from the floor, did his best to nod. Gabe responded by flinging his body into his brother's, who had just started to right himself. Michael, Star, and Sammy hadn't said a word. They were stunned, first by the attack, then by the responses of the two teenagers. Especially Gabe's... nothing could have prepared them for seeing him like this. Shea took off running and was out the front door before anyone could stop her. Gabe took off after her, only to see her fly off right outside the door. Suddenly, he heard a clamor behind him. Lucy and Laddie came running down the stairs, and gasped when they saw his vampiric visage. Little Lucy, right behind them, had another reaction. She screamed like a banshee and ran back up the stairs, crying. His grandmother looked helplessly between the stairs and her grandson, and Gabe waved her off. She ran up the stairs to try to calm her granddaughter.

In the kitchen, Star was busying herself by kicking the Frog brothers, who were laying on the floor in enough pain that they could barely raise their arms in defense. "You idiots! If my son ends up a full vampire, I hope he eats you little bastards FIRST! In fact, I will serve you morons to him on...a... dish!" Each word was punctuated by a kick. Finally, Michael pulled his infuriated wife off of the two imbecilic men. "Thanks, man," Edgar managed to gasp out.

Michael's only response was to kick him in gut.


	12. An Urge to Kill, A Reason to Live

_**AN: **Thanks to Ghostwriter and Kaya Nah for the support._

"Nobody mentioned the flying," Gabriel said, staring at the place where Shea had lifted up.

"Oops," his mother said. "It's not something I did very often, and your father only did it when he was fighting David and Max. Guess it slipped our minds."

"_Flying _just happened to slip your mind?" Gabriel asked sarcastically.

"Well, at the time, it wasn't exactly at the forefront of our minds," Star replied hotly.

Back inside the kitchen, Sammy was now reading his friends the riot act. Michael looked as though he was debating killing the two of them, but he knew if he so much as suggested it, Star would do it.

"You _morons!_ How exactly do you think we're going to figure out who the head vampire is now? Huh? I don't know why I keep you idiots around! I ought to make you bait, because right now, that's our best shot!" Sammy screamed. Laddie just stared at them in shock. Sammy's tirade was only interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their voice. His mother stood at the doorway, Lucy Junior clinging to her side. "I thought, considering the situation, it was best to fill Lucy in. _Gently,_" Lucy warned. Michael quickly stepped over and picked up his daughter. Holding her tight, he tried to comfort her. Little Lucy pulled back and looked at him. "You're gonna make Gabe better, right?" she asked him. "One way or another, baby girl," Michael told her. Star and Gabriel, still vamped out, returned. Little Lucy's eyes grew round, but she didn't start crying. "Uh, Gabe, you need to turn it off or something," Michael told him. "I would, but I don't know how," Gabe replied angrily. Star looked at her son. "It will stop once you calm down. It's triggered by some sort of adrenaline rush." Gabriel shook his head. "Then I guess I'm probably stuck like this for a while," he said. He looked over to the Frogs. "If Shea turns out to be the head, I'm going to stay a vampire. Then I'm going to serve the two of you to her like a romantic dinner." The Frog brothers looked at each other, fear in their eyes. Without a word, they scrambled up the stairs.

Suddenly, Gabe felt a finger poke the protrusion on his forehead. Little Lucy, fear having given way to curiosity, was now examining him. Gabe felt a little like a bug about to be pinned to a display board. He grinned at his sister. "It's still me, Luce," he told her. Lucy continued her examination, made easier by her position in their father's arms. After pulling down his eyelids to examine his animalistic eyes and his lip to examine his fangs, she finally seemed satisfied. "You're ugly," she declared. Michael snorted, and Gabe's eyes rolled slightly. "Don't worry, eventually I'll look like I always do," he told her.

Lucy Junior had wiggled free of her father's arms, and Michael sat her down on the floor. "You'll still be ugly!" she cried out, and ducked behind her grandma. "Lucy!" her grandmother reprimanded. Gabe growled and jumped at little Lucy, a game he had always played with her. Little Lucy giggled and jumped back behind their grandmother. Apparently, as long as she knew it was her brother, no demonic visage could make Lucy afraid of her big brother. The innocent game, however, frightened Gabriel. When jumping at Lucy, he felt a flash of something he'd never felt before. Hunger, violence, and many other things he couldn't quite define. Gabe drew back sharply. His mother realized what had happened. "It's instinct, Gabriel," Star said softly, so that her daughter couldn't hear them. "It's the urge to kill."

Gabriel was terrified. If he could feel a desire to hurt his own baby sister... He couldn't think of it. Quickly, he headed to the door. Grabbing a jacket, he told them, "I'm going to find her. I think I know where she'll be." Gabe was out the door before anyone could respond. He climbed on the motorcycle and headed into the night. He was heading for the beach, the place where they'd last been together. Where they'd first been together.

His mind was racing. He had told Shea that if it meant losing her, he'd rather stay a vampire. _But what about your family?_ Gabe thought to himself. What if he couldn't control himself around them? What if he became something that _wouldn't _control themselves around them? Gabriel knew that if there was ever even a possibility of that, he'd let himself die first. He knew he'd kill himself for it after.

At this point, Gabriel didn't care about anything except finding Shea. Pulling through the parking lot, he then drove straight onto the boardwalk. People screamed and dived out of the way. Gabe wove in and out amongst trash receptacles and tables. Storefronts flew by. People cursed at him. He didn't care. He had to find Shea, and get answers. Now. When he finally reached the end of the boardwalk, he pulled onto the sidewalk that ran along the rest of the beach. Finally, he reached the place he was looking for. Sure enough, he saw Shea sitting alone, looking out across the water. He reached up and was relieved to find that somewhere along the drive, his face had returned to normal.

Crossing the sand to where she sat, Shea didn't move a muscle. Only her hair flowed out in the breeze. Gabe was surprised; he knew there was no way she hadn't heard him. Finally, he stood beside her. "Shea," he said. She gave no response. "Shea," Gabe tried again, "I had no idea they were going to pull that. You know I didn't."

Shea turned and looked at him accusingly. "They were _hunters._ In your home. Waiting for me." Gabe sighed and sat down beside her. "No, they're a couple of idiots who think themselves modern day Van Helsings."

Shea's lips turned up slightly at the remark. Gabe continued. "My mom called them for help. They helped when they had their problem." His lips twisted in a grin. "Although they'll never admit it, they've never actually fought a vampire. The only one they managed to take out was asleep," Shea slanted her eyes at him. "Either way, still not very reassuring," she told him. "Okay, well does the fact that after we tossed them around, my mom took a shot at the two of them? How about the fact that she had them curled into the fetal position, trying to block her blows?" Shea couldn't help it; her sides shook softly with silent laughter.

Gabe knew he had to get serious. "Listen, Shea, I realized tonight that I can't do this. I can't be a vampire. I can't hurt people," he said, gauging her reaction. Shea said nothing, only looked out over the water. "I need your help. Are you still a half-vampire? Can you get us to the head vamp?" Gabriel asked. Shea still said nothing, but silently, she nodded. Gabe's heart suddenly started pounding. _She knows where he is. She still hasn't fed. She can be turned back. _Gabe was so overjoyed by the news, he suddenly pushed Shea to the sand and kissed her deeply. She was shocked for a moment, then returned the kiss. It took Gabe a few moments before he could pull away. "Come on. I need you to get back with me. We need to get to work," Gabe said reluctantly, standing. He reached out and pulled Shea up. She came with him willingly. As Gabe led her to his bike, he cast a look back at her.

"And don't worry about the Frogs," Gabe told Shea. "They've been informed that their position on the food chain at the moment is rather precarious."


	13. Rules Are Rules, Even If He's Undead!

_**AN: **__Thanks to Ghostwriter and Kaya Nah for the support. A little tidbit for Kaya Nah at the end._

By the time Gabriel and Shea returned, it was less than an hour before dawn. Seeing Shea was waning, he said nothing when he came in. He led an exhausted Shea up to his room. Luckily, Lucy was a very early riser. She had already been downstairs when he came in. Gabe put Shea into the bed and covered her tenderly. Gabe helped her pull off her clothing and slide on a shirt of his. Shea could barely keep her eyes open, but she was fighting sleep. The presence of the Frogs still made her nervous, and a vampire was at its most vulnerable when sleeping. "Sleep," Gabe ordered her. "Nothing's going to happen to you, I promise." Shea's eyes finally fluttered closed and she drifted off.

Gabriel was tired himself, but he had something he needed to do first. He drew the curtains closed, then walked to his desk. Digging through it, he finally found what he was looking for: duct tape. _It really does do everything,_ Gabe thought ironically. He hadn't believed it when his mother used it to fix a broken track on one of his drawers. He hadn't believed it when his father had used it to replace the binding of a well-worn book. He hadn't even believed it when his little sister used to tape her Barbie dolls on her walls as a makeshift audience for a ballet performance. But now, as he tore off long strips to cover any seams between the curtains and the walls to protect him and his vampire girlfriend, Gabe was at long last convinced. When he was satisfied, he sat the duct tape on his dresser and walked through the door. Pulling his keys from his pocket, he locked the bedroom door.

Gabe met his grandmother, uncle, Edgar, and Alan downstairs. At this point, he was exhausted. Fixing what he hoped was a terrifying stare on the Frogs, he said, "Shea and I are going to sleep. We are only half-vampires. We don't sleep very soundly. If you try to come in, for any reason, I will kill you. If you mutter nasty comments at the door, I will kill you. If you make too much noise, if I don't like the way you're breathing, I'll kill you." Apparently, he looked scary enough, because the Frogs looked nervous, although they tried to hide it. Gabe found himself a little shocked that two grown men in their thirties could act so much like kids not even half their ages. He turned to Lucy and Sam. "Shea's going to help. I'm too tired to get into details right now, but she knows who and where the head vampire is. We'll discuss it tonight, unless one of us gets attacked by a pair of prematurely aging, glory-day reliving jackasses. I will speak to you all tomorrow." With that, Gabe turned and headed back up the stairs.

"I seriously think he's gonna eat you," he heard Sammy say. Lucy snorted.

When he returned to his room, he unlocked the door and stepped in. He relocked the door, then pulled off his shoes, jacket, and jeans. In his T-shirt and boxers, he walked over to the bed. He pulled Shea into his arms, and soon drifted off to sleep.

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Gabriel was so exhausted when he came in, he didn't care that he had brought a girl up to his room and locked the door. Considering the present circumstances, he wasn't too terribly worried about rules in general.

Star, on the other hand, was _pissed._

"What do you mean, they're sleeping? Upstairs? In his room? In bed? _Alone?" _Star asked Sammy angrily when she awoke. Sam wasn't too thrilled with her shrill voice at such an early hour.

He'd been stuck in the living room with Laddie and the Frogs to try to get what little sleep was still possible. They'd bunked down shortly after Gabe had taken the girl upstairs, or at least, Laddie had. Laddie was presently sprawled out across the sofa in a manner Sammy would have thought impossible to sleep in. One foot was on the floor. The other leg was slung over the back of the couch. One arm was flung over the arm, while the other lay along his torso, his hand lying over his groin. Sammy figured if he'd slept like that, exposed, so to speak, he'd subconsciously want some extra protection over the crown jewels. His mother had seen him, and worried that Laddie had inadequacy issues, possibly related to becoming a vampire and then being de-fanged at such an important age. Lucy worried that even though Laddie was thrilled to no longer be a vampire, the sudden loss of power at a pubescent age had resulted in a negative self-image. _Laddie_, Lucy had theorized to Sammy, _had lost a source of strength, which boys associate with manliness. Therefore, he was protecting what he considered the only thing he had left to assert his masculinity_. After discovering her first post-divorce relationship was with the evil undead, Lucy had gone to therapy to "work on herself." She liked it so much, she'd ended up taking a few psychology courses at school to learn more. Now, she was full of such advice.

Sammy figured Laddie had a friend or two in the past who'd caught him sleeping like that, and had snuck up and whacked him one in the kill zone. Laying like that, the kid looked like he was begging for it.

Sam hadn't gotten any sleep, thanks to the Frogs. He was lying on the floor while the Frogs were relegated to the floor. They'd earned the floor. However, after the encounter earlier, they were now on high alert for a possible vampiric vengeance strike. They watched the stairs like hawks, terrified one of the vampires would come down. Every so often, one would drift asleep, and the other would smack him awake. Any noise, even the sound of Lucy puttering about in the kitchen, set them on edge. Sammy had almost gotten used to it when suddenly, Laddie had let out some strange snore/snort combination the caused the Frogs to scream. Sammy had jumped a good foot off of the couch, and knew he wouldn't sleep at all. Laddie didn't so much as move.

So now, with Star screeching at him, he was ready to kill someone himself. Star's rant continued until finally, Sammy burst out, "Look! He's 18! If not with her, he's probably had sex at some point or the other! You and Mike used to make enough noise to wake the dead!"

Star was shocked, but recovered quickly. "Yeah, well, this is my house and he knows the rules. I'm not letting any son of mine get it on with his girlfriend under my roof!"

Behind her, Lucy quickly smothered a snort.

Sammy sighed. "Okay, fine. But think of it this way. It's daylight. They're exhausted. And if you and Mike could make enough noise that Mom and I could hear you, even when you were being quiet, don't you think someone would hear something in this house? Every room is full of people."

Star blushed furiously and darted a glance at her mother-in-law. Lucy only raised her eyebrows.

Sammy suddenly looked lost in thought. "Unless they're doing it on the ceiling or something. Do you think that vampires can have sex on the ceiling?"


	14. Where the Head Vamp Lies

Star had finally given up on the argument regarding their newest houseguest. As Michael had pointed out when he'd come down, it wasn't anything they hadn't done, and besides, when they were half-vampires, they didn't have the energy for sex, not during the day. Daylight sapped the strength out of vampires and half-vampires alike. Michael also reasoned with his wife that their son was going to need to be rested, considering what he was about to face.

Sammy, on the other hand, was probably moodier than Gabriel would be at this moment. He didn't know what was up with the Frogs. The second he'd told them about the situation, they'd started acting weird. Well, weirder. Normalcy was not to be expected with these two, but whatever was going on their heads right now wasn't something he could fathom. The Frogs were still in the living room, drawing up a plan.

What Sam didn't realize about his friends was that they were thrilled to be facing vampires again. Neither of them were too thrilled with their positions in life. Alan hated accounting, and Edgar didn't really much for the comic, expect filling in colors when he was needed. Sam was the artist and writer. To them, the time they spent hunting and killing vampires, albeit brief, constituted their "glory years." Needless to say they were thrilled with the prospect of reliving it. Star hadn't been too far off when she mentioned an early midlife crisis. The two of them were now working on sharpening stakes. They'd learned (the hard way) that garlic and crucifixes didn't work. They didn't want to admit it, and they were going to fight anyway, but they were terrified. Sure, they were the greatest vampire hunters in the world. But as far as they knew, they were the _only_ vampire hunters in the world. They figured that their knowledge and training prior to their experience made their expertise surpass that of the others. Fondly, they remember Nanook, Sam's Siberian Husky. Star had chosen the family dog. Alan looked at Edgar and asked, "Hey, if we get in a bind or something, you think that poodle's gonna be of any use?" Edgar just stared at his brother.

The rest of the group spent the day in the kitchen, trying to form some semblance of a plan. Without any knowledge, they didn't have much to go on. They didn't know how many vamps they'd have to face, where they were... They didn't even know who the head vampire was yet. They ended up spending the day together, almost a reunion of sorts. Lucy Junior gave an impromptu ballet recital, and Lucy made dinner. Star and Laddie caught up. Star was surprised to discover that after he'd been returned to his parents, he became an honor roll student and had gone to college. He'd actually done rather well for himself in the dot-com boom, but when the bottom fell out, Laddie ended up adrift. He now worked for Sammy because, as he put it, he'd "already done the whole work too many hours and make a success of yourself. Did that, it went bust, so I figured I earned a break from the 9 to 5 thing." Sammy and Mike seemed to put the tension of the past few years away, and spent much of the time goofing off and harassing each other. At one point, their mother remarked that they were worse as adults than as teenagers. Edgar and Alan, still at odds with everyone, were sent out with canteens and empty jugs, under orders to obtain as much holy water as possible. The entire day was almost like a scene from a Christmas card. Or perhaps a very whimsical and happy Halloween card, considering the two vampires asleep only feet above them.

In Gabriel's bedroom, Shea had awoken the moment the sun set. Gabe awoke to find her sitting at the window. She'd pulled down the tape and opened the curtains, and now sat gazing upward. "Hey," Gabe said softly. Shea had already realized he was awake, but only when he spoke did she turn and look at him. He smiled and pulled the blanket down beside him. Accepting the invitation, Shea slipped back into his bed. Her head rested on his shoulder. She didn't say a word, and Gabe figured that the events of the previous evening as well as what they were going to do were weighing heavily on her mind. He thought she was scared, but he knew she'd never admit it if she was. Finally, she lifted her head and gazed into his eyes. Gabe leaned down and kissed her. "I love you," he whispered. He knew he hadn't known her for very long, he knew he barely knew her at that, but he knew this. He loved her. Shea's eyes filled with tears. Softly, so that he could barely hear her, she whispered back, "I love you, Gabriel." Gabriel's arms tightened around her. They lay like that for a long while, neither moving, nor speaking. Finally, they heard a knock at the door.

"Gabriel," he heard his father say, "Come downstairs. We need to get to work." Gabriel sighed, and Shea moved away. Pulling on her clothing, Gabe did the same. It wasn't long until they joined his family and Laddie downstairs. At this point, the kitchen looked like a base of operations for a supernatural task force. Newly sharpened stakes sat around the room, and more squirt guns lay about. "Have a seat," Michael told the two of them when they entered. Gabe started to approach the table, but Shea held back. He reassured her, and holding Shea closely, Gabe got her to sit. Little Lucy had been told they were going to use the stakes to put in the ground for gardening. Her young mind accepted that willingly, especially seeing as she was more concerned with the water guns. A promise of getting to keep one or two if she behaved while they had guests had gotten the girl to bed with no argument that night.

Star opened her mouth to speak, but Lucy held up her hand. "Let me, dear," she said. Sitting down opposite of the teenagers, she said to Shea, "I know you're scared, and I don't blame you. But we can help you if you help us. I know you care about Gabriel, just I knew Star cared about Michael. I almost lost both of my sons and myself to this once. I can't lose Gabe. I know you love him enough to help us. Just tell me, sweetie, where is the head vampire?"

Gabriel was surprised. Shea seemed more comfortable around his grandmother than she had around anyone. Her eyes darted to Gabe, and she said, "He's in the mansion. He's been there the whole time. He's been there for years."

Lucy smiled. "Good. I know you have friends there. Can you get them out?" she asked. Shea shook her head. "The only way to get to him is through them. It's their job to protect him. From what you told me before, it sounds like David was Max's primary protector. The head vampire can alert any of their protectors at any time to potential danger, and vice versa. He'd have them back there within minutes of an attack."

At that moment, unfortunately, the Frogs returned. Shea's eyes narrowed at the pair and she stiffened. Gabe put a protective arm around her. The Frogs jumped back the moment they saw the pair. "Whoa, whoa! Truce! We won't stake you, you don't bite us. Is that cool?" Alan asked, almost hopefully. Shea didn't say anything. She didn't move a muscle. She just stared them down. The Frogs, at this point, were close to shaking. "Okay, well then, if you don't need us in here, we'll just go work on things, uh, somewhere else," Edgar said. He walked slowly toward the table, then reached his arm out for the water guns. Shea jerked away from him when he approached. This started Edgar to such an extent he jumped back, and ran into the living room, his brother ahead of him. "Laddie! Bring the water pistols!" Edgar called. Laddie smirked, and started picking up the plastic weapons, then joined the Frogs in the living room.

Lucy turned to Shea again. "How many vampires will we have to worry about? Do you know if there are more who protect him?" she asked. Shea shook her head. "They're the only ones," she replied.

Sammy looked optimistic. "Well, hey, guys, look at it this way. Last time we had four vampires and the head. Now we only have three vampires and the head."

Shea turned quickly and looked at Sammy intensely. "That may be so," she told him, "But this isn't like before. You'll be on their territory. We all know that place inside and out. You don't."

Michael arched an eyebrow. "Then maybe we should start learning about the place this is going to got down first."


	15. Is the World Ready for Vampire Frogs?

It didn't take long for Shea to describe the mansion to the group. She'd even guided Sammy in drawing up a map of the house. This was the easy part. The group had originally wanted to go in during the day. However, this plan could easily backfire. The massive structure could easily become a labyrinth to someone unfamiliar with the layout. Even with a map, any of them could end up lost. If someone got lost in that house, and didn't make it out before night, they were screwed. The girls didn't take very well to intruders. Actually, that was misleading. The girls _loved _trespassers. On their turf, they could keep them around for hours, torturing and terrifying the victim. Shea had seen them; they were like sadistic cats toying with a mouse. Especially Layla.

This interested the group immediately. Edgar latched onto the comment immediately. "Tell me more about her. The others, too." Shea simply stared at him through narrowed eyes. Edgar threw his hands up in exasperation and said, "Okay, look, Alan and I kinda owe you an apology for the whole trying-to-stake-you thing. It's just what we do. It's our job. Just as it's the nature of the vampire to hunt us, it is our nature to hunt them." He finished his statement with a serious, intense expression.

The rest of the group just stared at him. Laddie met Star's eyes, and he knew that she was remembering the same thing he was. In the battle against David, Paul, Dwayne, and Marko, Laddie's fear and hunger finally got to him. He'd vamped out and gone a little nuts. Popping up from under the bed _through_ the mattress nuts. He'd ended up running and collapsing in a corner, trying to regain control. It was only then that the Frogs had gotten the courage to go after him. Star had luckily burst in and stopped them at the right moment. She'd stopped Laddie too, who was hell-bent at the time on taking out the boys who were trying to kill him. It was then that Laddie realized that the Frogs were pretty scared of Star. It wasn't even the vampire thing; Star had always been the type of girl who would never pick a fight, but could probably maim you for life if you hurt someone she cared about. They were both remembering the look on the brothers' faces that time. A look that showed they were debating risking it with Star and staking him, or just backing off. They'd backed off. To this day though, they still called him Eddie Munster when they were in a bad mood. Both Star and Laddie couldn't hold their laughter any longer, and burst into hysterics.

Their laughter set off giggles amongst the rest of the group. Edgar, now visibly agitated, slammed his fists on the table. "Look!" he said loudly. "Say what you want, but we've already got a plan to help our odds, thank you!" The others grew silent, and looked at him expectantly. It was Alan who spoke up. "We know you don't like us much right now. However, you're going to need all the help you can get. Therefore, we think we should increase our... firepower, so to speak." Alan took a deep breath, and told Shea, "We want you to make us vampires too."

"WHAT?!?" the others seemed to yell simultaneously. "You morons. What would you want to do that far? Want to try things on the dark side?" Sammy asked them.

Edgar still maintained his tough-guy expression. "Look, the girl said it herself. We're on their turf. We can't run the risk of them taking us all out before we kill the head. We're not saying we want to be full vampires, just half. When the head vampire is dead, we'll got back to normal, and we'll have the strength of two extra vampires for this fight."

Star rolled her eyes. "You do realize there's a a chance we might not be able to find the head vampire. Then the two of you would be stuck like that. Vampires."

The Frog brothers looked at each other, than turned back and nodded. "That's a risk we're willing to take." Voices raised in protest and criticism as the Frogs tried to argue their point. Finally, it was Shea who spoke up. "Enough!" she yelled over the noise. "To put it simply, I'm not giving either of you bastards my blood. I'm pretty sure Gabe is of the same mind." She looked at Gabe, who shrugged and nodded. "Neither of us is willing to take the risk that you bastards will live forever." Edgar and Alan looked hurt. Michael turned to hide a grin. Star snickered softly. Laddie was laying on the floor, laughing so hard he was clutching his sides.

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The group set the date for the following night. They knew they had to work as quickly as possible. It wouldn't take long before Gabe couldn't hold out any longer, so they had no clue what Shea was going through right now. As Shea and Gabe slept that day (Star had finally let the girl stay without any argument, after a long discussion with Michael. Star did, however, inform her husband that this wasn't going to fly when the two were human again). The group had all of the supplies they needed ready to go by the time the two teenagers awoke.

"Okay," said Sammy, pointing to a diagram. We'll enter through the window as soon as the sun goes down. Shea said they usually don't head out until about an hour after they wake, right?" Michael nodded. "Good. They sleep in this area by the ballroom. Shea said it used to be some sort of salon, but it's still intact and no sunlight gets to it. The main entrance into the room is here," Sam said, pointing to a doorway. "We'll check the ballroom first. If they're not there, Mike, Star, and I will enter through there, following Shea. Edgar, Alan, and Laddie, you'll follow Gabe through this passage here. Shea said it will come up through the back. Weapons will be drawn, pumped, and ready for use." The weapons he spoke of were top of the line Super Soakers, complete with backpack reservoirs, loaded with holy water. The Frogs had specially designed belts for everyone that would hold six stakes each.

"We'll each get into position if they're still asleep. If we're lucky, we'll be able to pull a Marko on all of them simultaneously. If they're awake, Star and Laddie will keep them at bay with the holy water while the rest of us go in for the kills. That plan also goes for if they're in the ballroom. Everyone's on a buddy system except our undead comrades. Mike and Star, the Frogs, and Laddie and me. The fanged ones are gonna be coverage for all of us, seeing as they have the demonic superpower thing going on."

Alan sneered. "Now, if we all get killed, you're gonna wish you'd had a couple more of us with the demonic..."

"Shut up, Frog," Sammy cut him off. "Mom, you're staying here with Lucy, so I think we've got all bases covered."

Michael nodded, then stood. "One thing I need to add. We can't presume that just because we beat them once, we will again. Dumb luck saved us a few times before, and we can't presume it will again. Sammy would have been killed by David in that cave if the Frogs hadn't managed to drag him into the sunlight. The Frogs would be dead if not for Nanook. We'd all be dead if it hadn't been for Grandpa. So this time, we have to be smart. We have to think before we do something. None of us are as young as we used to be. Last time, we were all of us in the prime of our lives. You all seem to think that just because we did it before, we can do it again. And, hey, there's one less this time. But that won't matter. We took out Marko before they ever got to the house, and we barely survived. Look at it that way, add the fact that we've all aged, and also that we're going to be on their turf, and we're facing something worse," Michael said. "If anyone hesitates, someone will die. If you run, someone will die. If you do everything by the plan, someone may still die. So if anyone wants out, if they're even having a second doubt, get out now. Better you quit now than get someone killed."

Star said nothing, but Michael could see her jaw tighten, showing her resolve. Sammy met his brother's eyes, and nodded. He wasn't going anywhere. The Frogs looked at each a moment, then back at Michael, nodding as well. It was Laddie who had a look of fear cross his face. "Laddie?" Michael asked. Laddie didn't say a word. Star walked over to him and hugged him. "Laddie, you'll stay here. It's okay. You _were_ one of them, and you were so young. It's okay, I promise," she said.

Laddie allowed her to hug him for a moment, then pulled her arms from around his neck. "No. I'm in. I'm tired of being afraid of them. I'm tired of having nightmares of what would have happened to me if Star hadn't been there. I'm tired of not being able to sleep when I dream that nobody ever came. That nobody ever saved me." Sammy and the Frog brothers appeared shocked. "For a while, they were my family. A sick, twisted, homicidal family, but they were all I knew. When they brought Star to take care of me, I knew that their life wasn't the only one. I remember being so angry when I realized that I'd never grow up. I'd never have to die, but I would never be like them, because of what they'd made me, and when.

How funny is it that they took my life away, and when I get it back, I don't _do_ anything with it? I'm not undead anymore, but I'm not living. So I'm in. It's time to put this to rest. All of it. It's time to bury my past." The group remained silent. Laddie was always carefree and joking. He'd always had that free spirit mentality, like nothing bothered him. Nobody knew that so much was lying beneath the surface. Lucy looked at Sam. _I told you so,_ she mouthed. Laddie looked somber for a moment longer, but then, almost as if he'd just realized it, the look was replace by a goofy grin. "So let's go and get them!" he said loudly. The others grinned and made sure they had everything they needed. There was no use in going further into Laddie's admission; it was obvious he didn't want to focus on it. It wouldn't be long before Gabe and Shea woke. Then, it would began. Twenty years later, the original Santa Carla vampire killers were going after a new batch. They were older, wiser, better prepared, and facing the possibility that they weren't going to win this time. But for whatever reasons they were doing this, be it family, closure, or a reclaiming of youth, if they went down, they were taking some bloodsuckers with them.


	16. The Price of Sacrifice

_**AN: **__Special thanks to Kaya Nah and Ghostwriter for their reviews and support._

The moment when Gabriel and Shea woke up was pretty much go time. They had to make it down to the cliff and get things started as soon as possible. Lucy had gone up and woke the pair shortly before sunset. Gabe awoke with some resistance, but it took effort on both of their parts to get Shea to rouse. Gabe was concerned about her weakness, and wanted her to stay behind. Shea shook her head. "When the sun goes down, I'll be fine." They pulled their clothes on as quickly as they could, which was hard considering their lethargy. Finally, they met the group downstairs, carefully avoiding any windows. They weren't taking any chances that they wouldn't be up to par.

When Gabe entered the kitchen, he almost doubled over. Sure, the assorted plastic weaponry and wooded stakes were a sight to behold, but this was something else. It was like what he'd felt around Little Lucy, only much worse. Shea stepped close to him and put her arm around him. "It's okay," she whispered. "It's a lot of people, which is a lot of blood. There's also a good amount of adrenaline flowing in here. It triggers the hunger. I feel it too."

Slightly relieved, Gabe put his arm around her shoulders and moved towards the group. They didn't say anything. There just didn't seem to be anything to say. Suddenly, a pair of footsteps bounded down the stairs. Little Lucy bounded into the room, dressed in her pajamas. "Lucy, baby, go back to bed," Michael said. The little girl's face scrunched up, and she looked like she was going to cry. "No! Everyone comes to visit, and nobody spends any time with me! All you do is keep sending me to my room, and I wasn't even bad! The only person who does _anything_ with me is Grandma! Don't you love me anymore?" by this point, Lucy Junior was now sobbing freely.

Michael and Star moved towards her, but it was Gabe who reached his baby sister first. "Shhh," he soothed. It wasn't until this moment that Gabe realized who really stood to lose out here. Little Lucy didn't know it, but tonight, she could end up an orphan. He didn't know what that would do to a little girl. "We're sorry. I love you. We _all_ love you. We've been working on something that we can't talk about, and we didn't realize that you were being left out so much." Gabe held his young sibling in his arms, as she sniffed into his neck. Her arms were wrapped around his neck so tightly he was surprised she didn't cut off circulation. Michael and Star crossed to the pair of them, and wrapped their arms around their children. They both whispered apologies to their daughter. When the group broke apart, they had tears in their eyes. Lucy, Laddie, Sam, and Shea did as well. Edgar and Alan were checking their equipment, eyes averted suspiciously. Michael turned to his mother. He, too, had just realized that this might be the last time they saw their baby girl. It hadn't seemed a real possibility until Little Lucy's outburst. Tears threatened to spill as he said softly, "Mom?" Lucy, crying silently, sniffed and nodded her head. "You know I will." Lucy knew what her son was asking. He was asking, that if they didn't come back, that she take care of his daughter.

Gabe felt guilt wash over him. To save him, he could end up costing his sister her whole family. Her whole life. He clung to her, afraid he'd never get to hug her again. In that moment, he wished he'd _helped _her flood his room. He wished he'd been her audience instead of the dolls taped to her walls. He wished that he'd listened every time she had prattled on in the garage. He wished he'd done every big brother task she'd asked of him.

His parents weren't any better. They were torn with their decision to go up against the vampires. It wasn't a question to help their son, but to risk leaving their daughter alone? Were they choosing one child over the other? It wasn't fair to either of their kids that they had to make this kind of a choice. However, the both of them knew that if they were to have any chance, they'd need as many fighters as possible. They could either risk leaving Little Lucy alone in the world, or they could risk Gabriel turning into a monster, and possibly having to kill their own son. It was hard, but in the end, they decided that Gabriel's life was more important than theirs. They wouldn't say it aloud, they didn't need too. However, they had to try to save their son's life. Little Lucy may end up with only her grandmother, but she'd be alive. The only thing that they could use to make a decision was their conviction that their childrens' lives and safety were the most important thing.

Sam was trying hard not to cry. A part of him was angry, angry at God, angry at fate, angry at anything he could blame this on. It wasn't fair that his family had to go through this again. The odds had to be astronomical against it! He'd lost his father, only to have to face losing everyone else shortly thereafter. They had overcome the vampires. They had won. What kind of world was it where they had to do this again?

Laddie's resolve was strengthened by the scene. For all of his fear, he was looking at something that was beautiful. Kids in good families don't become pre-pubescent vampires. Watching the family embrace, he was looking at everything that he had wanted as a boy. He'd been about Little Lucy's age when David, Marko, Dwayne, and Paul had shown up in his life. They gave him a place to belong, and Star had become his family. She was the closest thing he'd ever had. If it hadn't been for Star, Laddie would have never grown up. He'd be a full vampire, a killer with a child's face. There wasn't anyway in hell he was going to let anything happen to Star. She'd saved him once. Laddie's chest clenched at the thought of Star's daughter ever feeling the way he did once. He wasn't going to let that happen; he owed it to Star. By virtue of being Star's family, Laddie realized that they were like his family too. He was looking right at everything he'd ever wanted, something that rarely existed anymore. He wasn't going to let that go.

Edgar and Alan tried to focus on checking the supplies, which had already been full accounted for. Their eyes were bright, but neither wanted to admit the display was getting to them. Then, Alan sniffed. Edgar looked at his brother, and their eyes met. They froze for a moment. They'd never been ones for emotional scenes. When they were teenagers, the excitement of the battle was enough to stave off the fear. That is, until they actually went up against the vampires. This time around, they knew what they were facing. It could be unpredictable, to say the least. Their chances weren't as good as last time. "Edgar?" Alan said. "Yeah, Alan?" Edgar replied. Both of them were trying to keep their voices from wavering. "I just want to say... I mean, I know I don't say it, ever, but... I guess I'm just trying to tell you..."

Edgar finished for his brother. "I love you man!" Both brothers threw their arms around each other and hugged tightly. They didn't dare look at anyone for fear of their reactions. They held each other for all of about four seconds, before jerking away and trying to regain their composure. When they felt they had control of themselves, they faced each other again. "We ready to do this?" Edgar asked. "Always," Alan replied. "Let's go bag some bloodsuckers," Edgar stated, holding up his arm. Alan clasped it in a ritual they'd done since childhood. A brief, firm nod at each other, and they were ready to face the room once more.

Finally, Lucy spoke to the group. "The sun is setting right now," she said. Everyone turned and faced her. "If you had told me that we'd all be here again, together, I never would have believed you. I would never think that I'd be so lucky! To be together, under these circumstances... Well, they're less than ideal. But you all did it before and you can do it again. I'm going to see every last one of you sitting here tomorrow morning, no matter what." Lucy didn't sound like someone trying to convince themselves of something. Lucy sounded like someone who was positive that what she was saying was true. "What's going on?" Little Lucy said, confused by her grandmother's words. "It's okay, baby. We've got to do something. When we get back, everything will be back to normal. I promise." Michael said this firmly, as if he had just decided this was what the outcome would be.

"Not completely normal," Lucy told her son. "From here on out, I want us to get together on occasions that aren't related to death." She glanced at Gabe. "Or undeath," Lucy added.

This brought a smile to everyone's faces. Everyone, even the Frogs, lined up to say goodbye to the Lucys. Gabe sat her down, and kneeled to her level.

"I love you, Lucy. If... When I get back home, we're going to spend a lot more time together. No more yelling at you, and you're allowed in my room whenever you want," Gabe told her. "Can I play your guitar?" Little Lucy asked with a wide grin. Gabe chuckled. "You can't be any worse than me," he told her. Kissing his baby sister on the forehead, he stood. Shea looked at him, her eyes bright but weary, and said, "It's time."

The sun had set. The vampire hunters grabbed their gear and moved out into the garage. Gabe and Shea climbed onto the bike, while the others filed out to the vehicles, opening the garage doors on their way. His parents' car stood directly in front of him. Gabe met their eyes. They smiled at him. Gabe felt his chest tighten, and nodded sharply. He had to keep control of himself now. With the barest trace of purple on the horizon, Gabe pulled out and took the lead. He led his family to the mansion. To a nest full of vampires, and maybe even their deaths.


	17. And You Thought Your Roommates Sucked

Silence prevailed when the group reached the cliff. Gabe and Shea led the others down the ledge to the mansion. The Frogs wore ponchos over their combat clothing, for which they were mocked heartily by the others. Alan had said they were the only ones who'd been sprayed with blood and guts, and they had no interest in repeating the performance.

Shea and Gabriel both had to stop when they moved too far ahead; their familiarity combined with their vampire abilities made the path easy to take. The others made their way much more slowly. It seemed like only seconds, however, when the group reached the mansion. Quietly, they each filtered through the window.

Finally, they reached the ballroom. Luckily the room was empty and unlit. Shea moved quickly across the room without a sound, stopping at a closed door. Pressing her ear to the door, she listened. Finally, she looked at the others, then nodded sharply at Gabriel. The girls were still asleep. Gabe signaled the others to move to their assigned positions. Gabe led the Frogs and Laddie back into the hallway, and into another room. Walking to the back, he positioned himself at a doorway. Slowly, he opened the door. Shea, hearing his movements, opened a door across the room from them, with Michael, Star, and Sammy following her. Each group kept themselves in a circle, their backs to each other. Water pistols were aimed and at the ready. Edgar and Alan had stakes clamped between their teeth.

The humans had their eyes fixed to the ceiling. Flashlights shined, but there wasn't a trace of a vampire. Shea snapped her fingers once. The others turned to look at her, and she pointed to a corner of the room, towards the ground. There lay a few mattresses covered with blankets and clothing. Admist this, lie three girls, still as death. Michael and Star eased around mattresses to stand over Sophie. Sam and Laddie stood above Layla. Edgar and Alan were positioned over Katja. Edgar, Michael, and Sam each took a stake in hand and braced themselves, while Star, Alan, and Laddie held their Super Soakers at the ready. Shea and Gabriel stood nearby, ready to strike if needed.

Gabe started to snap his fingers. They had decided they would all strike on the count of three. Tension was evident on everyone's faces. Edgar's stake was even shaking. _One._ Gabriel snapped, and grips on stakes tightened. Their breathing was now audible, and the collected thundering of heartbeats was like a train to Gabriel's ears. He wondered how the vampires hadn't woke. _Two._ Edgar shifted, leaning further over Katja. He moved his foot to better brace himself. Unfortunately, he braced himself on the edge of a sheet. His foot slipped, and Edgar fell down, straight onto the sleeping vampire. Katja's ice-blue eyes flew open, and she hissed at the sight of the human over her. She opened her mouth and shrieked. The other girls woke immediately at the sound. Quickly, Michael slammed his stake into Sophie's chest. Star was busy pumping and squirting the girl with holy water. Blood gushed from the wound like a fountain, and Michael jumped back to avoid it. With a scream of agony, Sophie died. Sam wasn't so lucky. When his vampire woke, he'd jumped about three feet back to where Laddie stood. Laddie was frozen in shock.

He was brought out of that state when Layla, now standing in front of him, screamed as a jet of water struck her in the face. Skin melted. She turned towards the perpetrator, an angry Star, who was busy pumping her gun for action. Laddie yanked up his gun and sprayed Layla with a powerful blast across her face and neck. Layla screamed and drew back, but Laddie's gun ran out of pressure. Star's was empty. She was busy trying to replace the tank as Laddie pumped. Layla jumped across the space between them and onto Laddie. She was about to sink her teeth into him when she was propelled across the floor by Gabe.

Face to face, Layla and Gabriel stood crouched and ready to attack. It didn't take the two vampires long to regain their bearings. Layla sneered. "Traitor!" she hissed at Gabriel. Gabriel stopped for a moment, then shrugged. Layla came at him, her fists swinging.

Gabe had taken punches before. He'd given just as many. Nothing could have ever prepared him for a supernaturally strong undead chick delivering an uppercut to his jaw. For a moment, he was sure his teeth were in his sinus cavity, and that his jawbone had turned to mush. Luckily, even a half-vampire recovers quickly, and he delivered a punch straight into Layla's face. It didn't faze her. Growling, Layla grabbed Gabe by his shirt and lifted him into the air.

Sam and Laddie were now standing with Star and Michael, trying to figure out a way to get at Layla. Suddenly, Sammy grabbed his brother and Laddies' shoulders and said, "Give me a boost." Sam intended for them to throw him at the vampiress. "You'll never be able to stake her that way, Sammy! You'll get killed!" Michael yelled. "I'm not going to. Just trust me, Mike!" Sammy exclaimed. Michael shook his head, but quickly leaned down and clasped his fingers together, palms facing up. Laddie did the same. Sam put a foot in either set of hands, then said, "One, two, three!" On three, Michael and Laddie propelled Sam into the air, where he began to come down over Layla.

"Whoooooaaaaa!" Sammy yelled as he came down. Layla turned, and reached up to grab Sammy as he came at her. Her fangs were bared, and Sammy's eyes grew big in fear. Suddenly, Layla stiffened, and her arms fell to her sides. Sammy landed square on top of her. He was helped up by Gabriel, now sporting a fair amount of blood across his body. Layla lay on the floor, dead from the stake that Gabe had plunged through her back while she was distracted by the airborne Sammy.

As this was going on, Edgar and Alan struggled with Katja. Katja had thrown Edgar off of her and into a wall when Alan nailed her with a blast of holy water. She had screamed, then punched her fist straight through the water gun. Alan pulled out a stake and came at her, but she grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back. His throat was bared to her gaze, and she sunk her teeth in deeply. Alan screamed. Edgar, jumped off of the floor, then came running towards her. Drawing back his fist, he punched Katja in the eye. Katja reared back, and Alan sank to the floor, clutching his neck. Edgar, stake in hand, thrust the stake in an arc into the right side of her chest. Suddenly, Shea appeared beside him. Grabbing Katja by the neck, she flung her at a far wall. The icy blond vampire went through the wall and into the ballroom, where she lay still.

Alan was crying, clutching his neck. Edgar was hysterical. "Just do it man, do it! I'm not going to be a vampire, bro! Just stake me now! I can't take the chance!" Alan cried to his brother. "Come on, bro, it'll be okay! We're gonna find the head vamp, we'll stake him, and you'll be fine!" Edgar choked in reply. "I can't take that chance, man! I can't! What if the bloodlust is too strong? Think about it! If we're this good as vampire hunters, what would we be like as _vampires?_" Alan said sobbingly. Edgar's forehead fell to touch his brother's. He raised his stake and said, "I love you man. No matter what, I love you. You're the best bro a guy could have." Edgar said. Alan whimpered, "You too man. I love you bro." Tears ran down their faces as Edgar raised the stake. A voice sounded behind them. "You two really are the biggest pair of idiots I have ever seen."

Edgar and Alan turned to look at Shea. "You have to drink a vampire's blood." She looked at the pair in disgust, and walked off. Some of the others snickered and shook their heads. Edgar and Alan stopped crying immediately. They looked at each other. "Oh, yeah. Forgot about that," Alan said. The two of them stood and followed the others into the ballroom, Alan still clutching his neck.

Inside the ballroom, they faced the shock of their lives. Across one of the walls, a message was scrawled, seemingly in blood. The words were chilling. MESS WITH MY FAMILY AND I'LL MESS WITH YOURS...

Shea stiffened, then turned to Gabriel. "He knows who you are," she said. Gabriel's eyes were wide and wild as looked towards the others, then at the message, then again at Shea. "What does that mean?" he asked her. A pained look crossed Shea's features. "What do you think, Gabriel?" With a gasp, Gabe turned and ran back through the mansion, everyone else following as quickly as they could. When they got to the cliff, Gabe grabbed a hand of each of his parents', then flew up the cliff, setting them down at the top. He quickly jumped over the side and did the same with Sam and Laddie, as Shea was lifting the Frogs. At the top, Mike through the keys to his bike at his father, calling, "Meet me at home!" Michael called back, "How do you expect to get there?" Softly, so that his father couldn't hear, Gabriel said softly, "A faster way." Running across the ledge, Shea alongside him, the two of them lifted into the night sky. The humans below gasped. Faintly, Star could be heard to say, "Well, he certainly figured that out fast."

Gabe wasn't sure how he'd known he could do this. It may have been fear and nothing else. The rest of the group traveled below in their vehicles, Michael and Star leading the way on the motorcycle. Still, they were no match for the two vampires flying through the air. Gabe moved as quickly as he could, thoughts racing through his mind. Thoughts of his grandmother. Of his baby sister. _I'm coming, Lucy..._


	18. The Evil You Know

_**AN: **Special thanks to Ghostwriter for your continued support. As promised, a new twist in this chapter. The head vampire shows his face, Little Lucy shows that even little girls can kick some butt, and Grandma shows some attitude. Also, Michael and Star come riding in like a flashback._

The house was dark and eerily quiet when Shea and Gabriel arrived. Gabriel landed on the porch itself, and went running through the front door. Shea followed closely. Gabe didn't have to look far. A fire had been lit in the fireplace, casting shadows over the room. He spotted his grandmother sitting stiffly in a chair near it. Behind her, a dark figure moved from the shadows. A man with blue eyes stepped forward, holding Little Lucy in his arms. "Hello Gabriel," the man said softly. Little Lucy turned to her brother. "Gabe!" she cried happily. The little girl tried to wriggle down, but the man held here tightly to him. Little Lucy whimpered. Gabe felt his face transform. "Ah, ah, ah," the man said softly. "Think about it. You don't want anything to happen to Lucy here, do you? Think of how fast tragedy occurs. In the blink of an eye..."

Gabe's frame was shaking with anger. His grandmother looked at him, pleading with her eyes. It was obvious she'd been crying.

"Let her go. You don't want her. She's just a kid," Gabriel tried.

The man laughed. "Children are the most interesting of all. It's not really of any point to feed from a child. They don't know fear like adults do. They're not afraid to die. They don't know what death is. So, there's no adrenaline going. And they're never filling. Children aren't even a satisfying snack.

"However, children don't know fear. They want what they want, when they want it. They're selfish and greedy because they don't know any better." the man laughed again. "Children do make interesting vampires."

Gabe snarled and moved towards the man. Shea grabbed his arm and held him back. He looked to her desperately, and softly, she shook her head. Even the two of them together were no match for this man.

The helplessness that Gabe felt at that moment was overwhelming. He couldn't let this man hurt his baby sister. Tears ran down Little Lucy's face, though she remained silent. She didn't know who this man was, but she knew he was bad.

The man had burst into the door while she and her grandmother sat in the living room watching cartoons. Grandma had seemed upset the whole evening, and she kept Little Lucy close to her, even letting her stay up past her bedtime. They had both jumped when the door slammed open, then, when Grandma saw the man, she'd screamed and pulled Lucy Junior behind her.

The man had approached them without saying a word, until he stood right in front of Lucy. Lucy shook uncontrollably as the man wrapped his icy fingers around her throat, then forced her to sit. He'd picked Little Lucy up, who'd struggled and kicked her until he shook her.

"Stop it!" he'd ordered angrily. Little Lucy was frightened enough to cease. The man had walked with her over to a chair behind Grandma. He'd sat her in it, then walked to the fireplace and built a fire. Once he was finished, he walked back to Grandma, leaning over her. "By the time this night is finished, you and your whole family will be dead."

Grandma had started crying, but she said to him, "No. You'll be dead. I don't care what it takes. If one of them doesn't kill you, then I swear to God, I will." She'd spoken so softly that Little Lucy could barely hear her.

The man's lips had curved in a faint smile. "Is that a threat? You're not exactly in a position to make any threats, if you hadn't noticed."

Lucy smiled back. "No. No threat. That's a goddamn promise."

The man's smile had turned to an angry grimace. Pushing himself up, he'd walked back over to Little Lucy. Lucy had curled up in the chair, trying to make herself as small as possible. The man had picked her up, and she'd cried harder. But he just sat down in the chair, totally in shadow, and sat Lucy on his lap. Then, he'd waited.

Little Lucy was thrilled to see her brother come through the door. She still believed that no matter what, her brother would and could protect her from anything. So when the man still held her minutes later, she was truly terrified. She wanted away from him, and fast. Lucy began to struggle, kicking and wriggling as much as she could. The man holding her grew angry, and tightened his arm around her midsection. Little Lucy began to scream. That scream was a formidable weapon. High-pitched and loud, the precocious little girl sounded like some demon that had just crawled forth from the darkest pits of hell. The man made a face, and covered her mouth with his hand.

Which was exactly what the clever little girl wanted. As soon as his hand covered her mouth, Little Lucy bit down on the tender skin between his thumb and forefinger. She clamped the skin like a crocodile on a piece of meat. The man shouted angrily, and dropped her as he tried to wrest his hand free. Lucy ran towards Gabe, and her brother pulled her to him faster than she could actually see. The man shook his hand and rubbed the injured area. "Smart girl," he said with a sneer.

However, Lucy still sat near the man, unable to get around him. She'd never be fast enough. The man knew it. He walked over beside Lucy's chair, and leaned down next to it. Whispering in her ear, he snickered, "She's a natural."

Lucy's nose curled in disgust. At that moment, the roar of the motorcycle and the engines of the other two vehicles were heard outside. The man crossed to the window to see the others pulling up. Michael was leading, steering the bike with Star holding tightly to him. The man's expression changed to something Gabe wasn't able to read. The strange man walked back over to his grandmother and stood behind her chair.

The others came running into the house. "Gabriel! Where are they? Are they alright? Has anything..." Star froze, mid-sentence. The others ceased all movement as well as they spotted the man. "Looks like the gang's all here," he said arrogantly.

Michael's arm moved protectively around Star, whose lips were moving, but no sound emerged. Then, she spoke quietly, one solitary word.

"_David..."_


	19. A Long Time Coming

"You're dead. I killed you. I KILLED you!" Michael said forcefully.

David laughed softly. "You impaled me. On a set of antlers. Wooden stakes kill vampires, Michael. Not horns."

Edgar smacked Alan on the arm to get his attention. "Damn! We should have caught that!"

Michael and Star faced each other in shock. That night... The bodies of Dwayne, Paul, and Max disappeared. Michael had presumed David was dead when he left him there. He thought back. The fight with David, then Max showed up. Grandpa driving through the house and killing Max. Grandpa revealing that he'd known about the vampires in Santa Carla... _While David's body lay impaled on the table behind him!_

Suddenly, it hit them. The other vamps' bodies had disintegrated rather quickly. Only Dwayne had any parts left immediately, when he was blown apart. But it was shortly thereafter that his, er, _remains_ had disappeared. David's body had remained there much longer. Too much longer...

Michael's eyes grew round, and David knew he'd finally realized where he'd made his mistake. David applauded softly. "Finally figured it out, did you?"

Michael shot a glance filled with anger, hatred, and deadly intent at the vampire. "I won't make the same mistake twice."

David smiled. "Twenty years, Michael. _Twenty years._ Do you really think that this whole thing is coincidence? Or that I just dreamed it up all of a sudden?"

Star moved forward, as if she was ready to beat the hell out of David. Which, actually, she was, until Michael grabbed her arm. David smiled widely at Star. "Still have that same fire, don't you, Star? I remember that. You were sexy as hell, a little wild Gypsy running among the beaches of Santa Carla. Did you miss me? I've missed you, Star."

"Can't say that I have, David. Tell you what, why don't you die again and we'll see if my little heart breaks," Star replied.

David laughed loudly. "Two decades, two kids, and a pathetic American dream later, you're still the same spitfire, aren't you?" he asked.

"What the hell is this, David?" Michael interrupted.

David shrugged. "This is your family. Your mother, your brother, your children. These are the people you loved the most in the world." He moved to stand in front of the fireplace. "We gave you a place with us. You wanted it. And what did I get in return, Michael?"

David stood silently staring into the fire, as if waiting for an answer. Then he turned, his face now contorted to show he was a vampire. "What did I get in return, Michael? You _killed_ my family. You killed Max. You took Star and Laddie away. You bastards had the gall to kill Marko as he SLEPT! Like cowards, you snuck up on him, and he didn't even have a chance!" David said, his emotions getting the better of him. He regained control over himself before he spoke again. "So I'm going to do the same to you. I knew I would, the moment I pulled myself off of those damn antlers. I've wanted this since that very moment.

I'll admit, it was hard to wait that long. Patience is not my forte. But it took me _years_ to fully recover from those injuries. By then, you two had already had a bouncing baby boy." David looked at Gabriel condescendingly. "At first, I planned to kill your baby in front of you. Then, I realized I could do worse. I could wait. I could wait until your son was old enough, then turn him into the very thing you hated being."

Gabe's breath stopped, and he looked at Shea questioningly. She didn't look at him. David said softly, "Come here, love." Slowly, Shea walked to him and joined him at his side. David continued, "It was easier than I thought it would be. You're certainly your father's son, boy." Turning to Michael, he told him, "She got him the same way Star got you. Just like that night on the boardwalk. He took the bait just like you would have... The mysterious, exotic girl who plays a little hard-to-get."

Gabriel felt like someone had just ripped open his chest. _She lied to me. She's been playing me the whole time, just to get to my family. And I let her,_ he thought guiltily. Shea now looked at him, straight in his eyes. Gabe's guy burned with pain and jealousy as David pulled Shea close and kissed her head. "She was perfect," David added.

"But I know something better than killing the lot of you. I'm not going to kill anyone. I'm going to destroy you.

Gabriel is already a half-vampire. It won't be long until the hunger takes over. Then, he'll feed without even trying. He'll be a vampire forever, and you'll never be able to save him. And the time frame is even smaller for child vampires," he told them. Star gasped, and Michael was obviously on the brink of attacking David. Suddenly, David moved faster than their eyes could follow. In a flash, he'd grabbed Little Lucy from Gabriel and now held her against his chest. She kicked and screamed like she'd never screamed before, to no avail. David grinned, baring his fangs to the group. "Your children will be vampires. The rest of these people will be dead. And you'll have to live with that." David knew that would destroy Star and Michael a thousand times over. Shea's eyes bored into Gabe's, until he realized she was trying to tell him something. Her eyes darted down beside him, and he followed their path to see Sammy's water gun, attached to his uncle's hip. The gun was within reach of his fingers. He knew that Sam hadn't used it in the mansion, so it was still pumped. He watched as David ripped his teeth into his own wrist, and, as his mother screamed, lowered it to Little Lucy's mouth.

Gabriel yanked the gun off of Sammy's belt and up within seconds. Aiming it squarely at David's face, he fired. David looked up just in time to see the blast of holy water strike him directly in the eyes. He screamed and fell to his knees, dropping the girl in the process. Michael yanked a stake from his belt and jumped over the couch in front of David. Before he could kill the vampire, David darted to his side and went running through the window. Shards flew as he took to the sky.

"Damn it!" Michael yelled, throwing the stake to the floor. He picked his crying daughter up, and held her to him. His mood was such that he was little comfort, and finally, Star took Little Lucy into her own arms. She needed to make sure she was alright.

"Where did he go?" Michael said angrily to Shea. Pulling another stake from his belt, he held it to her. "You've got three seconds." Shea didn't so much as blink. It was Gabe who yanked his father back. "She's the one who made me notice the water pistol in the first place! If it wasn't for her, Luce would be dead!" he snarled. "If it wasn't for her, none of us would be in this situation in the first place!" David was right about one thing. Especially when angry, father and son were quite similar. Finally, Gabe turned to Shea, and asked, "Why?" He sounded both sad and angry. Shea looked at him and said, "If it hadn't been me, it would have been someone else. He didn't care who he used to get to you, he just cared about getting to you." Her expression became angry. "I want him dead."

"We'd have to find him to kill him," Michael said. "Will he go back to the mansion?"

"No. It's not safe there anymore," she said. "Then where?" Star asked. "To the only other place in the world that's felt safe. He's going to go home," Shea replied.

Michael and Star glanced at each other, and responded in unison. "The cave."


	20. Not Quite the Same Old Story

For Star and Laddie, returning to the cave was a surreal experience. This was a place that they'd once considered home. It wasn't a great home, but it was what they knew. The place looked the same, just faded and worn. It almost looked as though Marko, Paul, and Dwayne might come running in at any moment and plop down on the couches. The Jim Morrison poster was in tatters. Star's bed was dusty and moth-eaten. Yet, it was strangely the same.

They knew that David would be in here someplace. They also knew better than to underestimate him. He might be waiting to attack, he might just be hiding. Whatever his plan, he was weak right now, and therefore they needed to kill him now.

It only took moments before the plan was realized. As Edgar and Alan maneuvered past the couches, the lights died. The whole cave was silent. The humans were completely blind. Edgar pulled a flashlight from his belt and shined it in front of him, coming face to face with David. With a scream, he dropped the light. Vampires were intimidating anyway. David, with the fresh burns across his face, was downright scary.

When Edgar recovered the light, David was no longer there. However, Gabriel and Shea could see fine. Which is why Gabriel managed to grab hold of David as he tried to grab Star. Clinging to David's lapels, Gabe began punching him with every bit of strength he had. Before long, Gabriel found himself flying across the room.

The lights flared back on. Shea stood not too far from David, who held his hand out to her. "You belong to me. Come here," he ordered. Shea remained. "COME HERE!" David yelled. Slowly, Shea made her way to him. David cupped her chin in his hand, and looked at her angrily. "Remember why you're here. What you're doing." David glanced back at the humans and Gabe with a smirk. "The whole time. The only reason she was with you, boy, was to destroy your family. You walked right into it. You led your family to their deaths.

I'm going to kill your father, your uncle, and those two idiots. You'll stay as you are. Eventually, you'll feed. Your mother and sister will be just like you. Star will feed this time, whether she likes it or not. Your grandmother will be a vampire as well. It's the least I can do for old Max. But, Laddie... I'm going to do you a favor. I'm going to let you decide. Dead... or undead?" David asked the boy.

Laddie wasn't nearly as afraid of him as he'd once been. "Fuck you, you overgrown mosquito."

David shrugged. "That's too bad. You always struck me as the type to be one hell of a killer." Then he turned to Shea.

"It's time that you remember where your loyalties lie. You are going to kill one of them," he told her. "Or I'm done with you. And you'll be welcome to join them."

Shea stared into Gabriel's eyes. Oddly enough, he wasn't afraid, not of dying. He was afraid that he wouldn't be able to save her. Shea gazed at the assorted people. Closing her eyes tightly, she whispered, "No."

"No? NO?" David asked, violence apparent in his tone. He grabbed Shea around her neck, and choked her. Gabe moved toward her, until he saw her hand slide under her jacket in the back. She pulled out a stake, keeping it behind her and hidden from David. Struggling for air, she told David, "No. And you're welcome to join your family."

With that, Shea lifted completely off the ground, her face contorting. In mid-air, she somersaulted with David, so that he was moving backwards. She flew against the wall, on top of David. David was pressed against the nearly destroyed Morrison poster. He laughed slightly, then started flung Shea off of him. Shea flew back into another stone wall. Suddenly, he froze. Shea dropped down from the wall and looked up at David. She walked up to him, gazing up at him. He was impaled through the chest on the wooden pike. David choked and gasped for air. Shea flew up and leaned on the wall next to him.

The others couldn't hear her as she leaned down and whispered, "Go to hell, David." With the last of his strength, he said to Shea, "I guess I'll be seeing you there, then, won't I?" Shea wasn't fazed. She looked demonic in her vampire form, but she said to him, "Someday, David. Someday." She stayed there, looking in his eyes as he died. As the life (or unlife) left his body, David's body disintigrated to dust. David met his end in the same place he once lived with the ones he considered his family.

Gabe gasped and swayed slightly. His father and uncle grabbed him under the arms. "Whoa, whoa," his father said. "You okay?" Gabe smiled. "It's over. I can feel it! It's over!" he pushed his family members aside and called out to Shea, who was still looking at the wall where David had been. She now stood on the floor, but remained facing it, looking up at where the head vampire had died. "Shea!" he cried. "It's done!" He reached her, and wrapped his arms around her. Burying his face in her hair, he whispered. "Come on, baby. Let's go. Let's get out of here. It's almost morning. Let's go watch the sunrise, huh?" Shea sniffed. "You crying, baby? We're fine now. Shea, it's all over, baby." Gabe turned Shea in his arms so that he could hold her closer. Then, he gasped. Shea was still fully vamped out.

It took Gabe a moment to comprehend what he was seeing. At first, he thought that he'd been wrong, and David wasn't the head vampire. He thought he'd made the same mistake his parents had years ago. But he realized that he'd felt the change. He knew he wasn't a vampire anymore. That could only mean one thing. "No. No. No, no, no, no, Shea, NO!" Gabriel felt like his heart was breaking. It was taking everything he had not to cry. Shea had silent tears running down her face. The others could see what was happening, but knew that this wasn't a time where they should interfere. Shea's face returned to normal, and Gabe pulled her into his arms.

Holding her tightly Gabe choked out, "You said you were only a half-vampire! God, Shea, tell me this isn't happening!" Shea pushed herself back and looked up at him. "No. You asked me if I was only a half-vampire. Then you asked if I knew who the head vampire was. I just said yes. I let you believe I meant to both," she told him. "Why would you do that? Why?" Gabe asked. He couldn't help himself; tears were now streaming down his face. "I knew you didn't want this. I knew you'd be tempted to remain like this for me. I didn't want that for you. You have a family, you have a life. It was never my right to take that away.

By the time we changed you, I didn't want to go through with it. David realized that I was backing away; he had the girls make sure it happened. He knew I couldn't go against them, not all of them. After he did that... I didn't care about any of them anymore. David didn't care about anything except revenge, and I was tired of being used to obtain it."

Shea pulled away from him and looked at the others. "I'll be asleep soon. I won't be able to fight it. After that, you can do what you want. I don't care anymore. Just take your family and get out of this place." Gabe started to protest, but Shea told him, "You can't live in my world _and_ yours. There's no way. Go. Just go. Live your life, be happy, and all that happy-ever-after nonsense," she told him. Gabe didn't know what to do. This couldn't be how it ended, not after all of this. He couldn't leave without her. "You have to," Shea said softly, as if she could here what he was thinking. "Please, Gabriel, please go.

It was Star who finally pulled her son away from Shea. The others didn't know exactly what to think, but Star had nothing but sympathy for the girl. Shea looked at Star and said, "I'm sorry. David was right about one thing; eventually, you do have to feed. He just didn't mention that eventually, the hunger will take over, and you won't have a choice." Star let go of her son's arm and embraced the young girl. But for chance, they'd be the same. Star remembered what it was like, when the hunger took over. If they hadn't defeated Max when they did, she'd have been lost.

"No," Gabriel said, moving back to Shea. "I'm not leaving you. Change me back, I don't care. I'm not leaving you alone!" Shea was left with no other choice. Her face contorted, and she lifted Gabe up by his throat. She pinned him to the roof of the cavern. "Are you sure?" she snarled, her body suspended in air. "When you have to _kill_ in order to survive? When you watch the people you love grow old and die? When you realize that you'll end up spending eternity watching people live their lives, and you'll never be able to participate in it? YOU DON'T WANT THIS!"

The others gasped in shock. Slowly, Shea lowered herself and Gabriel to the ground. "Get out," she told him. "Go!" Gabriel felt defeated. He loved her, but he couldn't do anything to help her. He started to follow the others out of the cave. Suddenly, he spun on his heel and ran back to Shea. He pulled her into his arms, and kissed her deeply. It took everything he had to break the kiss. "I'm sorry, Shea. I'm so sorry. I love you," he whispered. He kissed Shea one last time, then ran out of the cave. He knew if he didn't leave now, he never would. When Gabe was finally out of sight, Shea finally allowed herself to collapse onto the stone floor. She cried until the first rays of the sun started to shine in the cave. Shea finally crawled up and dragged herself into the small cave where David and the boys once slept. And she slept, alone.


	21. Don't Want to Live Without You

When the team returned to the house, not a one of them was celebrating. Lucy and little Lucy couldn't understand the somber mood. "Gabe!" little Lucy cried, running to her brother. "Are you all better now?" she asked. Gabe hesitated. "Yeah, Luce, all better." he kissed the little girl, then, without another word, went up to his room and closed the door.

Lucy looked at her sons and daughter-in-law, and asked, "What happened? Where's the girl?" Michael and Star shared a look between them. "She wasn't a half-vampire, Mom. She was a full vamp," Michael told her. Lucy gasped. "Did you have to..." she trailed off. Michael shook his head. "We couldn't. She saved us. She killed David. We just couldn't."

Lucy clutched her shirt. Her heart broke for her grandson. Sam took charge of the somber group. "Okay, everyone, I think we just ought to get some sleep. I doubt any of us want to talk about anything right now." Nods of agreement followed, and everyone started filtering off to find places to sleep. Lucy and little Lucy hadn't slept either, too nervous after the incident with David. She curled up in her granddaughter's bed with her, thankful that her family was safe. Kissing little Lucy's head, she realized that if Star had been in Shea's situation, she wouldn't have her grandchildren.

Sam, Laddie, Edgar, and Alan bunked down in the living room as they did before. The energy expended, combined with their lack of sleep, helped them to fall asleep quickly. Although they knew Shea was vulnerable now, even the Frogs were unwilling to go after her. It seemed that deep inside, the pair had sympathy, even for their sworn enemies. They didn't have it in them to kill the girl any more than the others.

Laddie felt a sense of relief. All of the vampires that took him so long ago were gone. Although he felt bad for that chick, he couldn't help but be glad that David was really and truly gone.

In their room, Michael held onto Star tightly. His son had lost the girl he loved to this. It finally hit Michael how easily he could have lost her. He realized that he couldn't live without her. Star felt the same way. She'd have given Michael up too. They let their son be, knowing that there was nothing they could say to help him. They knew that they had what he'd wanted, what he'd lost. There was nothing _anyone_ could say to ease that kind of pain. Michael and Star spent the morning together, as he showed her how much he loved her. They finally slept hours later.

Gabe tossed and turned in his bed. He was completely unable to sleep. It didn't help that he could still smell her scent on the sheets and pillow. Gabe gave into it, and inhaled deeply. He hated himself in that moment. He couldn't believe there was no way to save her. Anger, sorrow, and pain ran through him in torrents. It was like she had died. In a way, she had. Shea wasn't living, but then again, she was no different than when he had met her. His mind raced with thoughts, until his body finally gave out and he slept, exhausted, until late that night.

Gabe woke to here everyone moving about downstairs. He looked over at his clock. It was past one in the early morning. He lay there, not wanting to face the others. He didn't want to talk, he didn't want any damn condolences. She wasn't dead, not in the literal sense. _She's not dead._ Without really knowing what he was doing, he flung himself out of the bed. Pulling on his clothes and his shoes, he made his way down the stairs and out the door. He heard his mother call out to him, but ignored it, climbing onto his bike and tearing off into the night.

Star grabbed her keys and headed to the door, but Michael held her back. "What are you doing? You know what's happening! You know what he's about to do!" Star yelled at Michael. Michael looked at his wife. Between being a vampire and losing her, he knew what he'd have done. "I know. But if he's going to be so determined to do it, what are we going to say that will stop him? We can't keep him locked in his room forever. Sooner or later, he'll find a way to get back to her. I don't like what I think he's about to do, but he's going to make the decision himself, whether we like it or not," he told his wife.

"Yeah, well, I'm his _mother._ It's my _job _to tell him he's making the wrong choice, _whether he wants to hear it or not._" Star said angrily. She jerked away from her husband and headed to the door. Michael sighed and followed, Lucy and Sammy following. "Hey, guys, you stay here. Watch Luce," Sam said to Laddie and the Frogs. They nodded. Little Lucy was asleep, so she wouldn't cause a problem for the three men, who were completely unfamiliar with kids. Also, they'd kind of had their fill of vampires at the moment.

The four of them reached the cave to find Gabriel struggling with a fireman. Smoke billowed out from the cave. They ran over and pulled him away from the fireman. "You don't understand, there's someone in there!" Gabe screamed. The fireman shook his head. "Kid, there's no way that anyone's alive in there. You going in there will only get you killed, too. The whole place is gone. The heat made the roof cave in. If there was someone in there, then there's no way they made it out. I'm sorry, kid."

Gabe screamed at his uncle, "Did they do this? Did they?" Sammy knew he was referring to the Frogs. "None of us have left the house, Gabe. There's no way," Sammy told him apologetically.

Gabe struggled against Michael and Sammy, who were still restraining him. "Gabriel, calm down! You don't know that she was in there! She probably left when it was dark!" Star yelled at him. Gabe stopped resisting for a moment, then pulled away from them. He ran to his bike. "Come on," Lucy told the others. They followed Gabe down to the cliff, where smoke billowed over the edge. "Oh, God," Star said softly. Gabe hadn't even stopped the bike. He'd come to a stop and dropped it, running down the cliff. Michael righted it and killed the ignition before following Lucy, Star, and Sammy down the ledge. When they made it down, their suspicions were confirmed. The mansion was ablaze. The flames licked at the night sky, and as they watched, the roof collapsed under the heat. Gabriel sank down into the sand, sobbing. Michael dropped down to him and held his son tightly. "You don't know she was in there. You don't know that," Michael told him.

At this point, Gabe's entire body shook with his sobs. "Yes, I do," he cried. "She did this. I know it. She knew I'd come back for her. She knew... She knew I wouldn't let her go. She did it."

Michael looked to his wife. Her eyes were filled with tears, as were his mother's. Michael knew what Gabriel was telling him. In order to keep Gabe from coming back, becoming a vampire again, maybe even because she didn't want to be one anymore, she'd set both places on fire, with herself inside. No trace of David and the boys or Shea and the girls remained in Santa Carla. There may be other vampires, but this coven was gone.

Michael held his son, and the group remained there for hours. When the mansion was reduced to embers, and the fire extinguishing on itself, the son was rising, shining over the solemn group. Gabe had finally stopped sobbing, and had watched the structure burn. As the sun lifted up over the water, Gabriel turned and watched the sunrise he'd never get the chance to watch with Shea.

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That night, a girl with ice blond hair sat down on a sofa in an abandoned building. It was boarded up, dark and silent. Her startling blue eyes moved over her companion. "So, any ideas as to where we're going?" she asked.

Her companion was solemn. "Away from here. We're not ever going back to Santa Carla."

"Why not? You're the head vampire. That place is kind of like the vampire Mecca," the girl replied.

"We are never going back there. We're done there, Katja."

Katja sighed. "Fine. Just tell me one thing. At first, I thought you planned the whole thing to become the head vampire. But the way you were with that boy. You miss him? Because you didn't look like you were just using him to set up David. Do you love him?"

Shea sighed. "Gabriel doesn't matter anymore. He has a life to live. We're vampires. It's different for us. It's always different for us. It's better that he thinks I'm dead. The hunters will never come after us. Nor will he." Katja had helped Shea devise the plan long ago. She hadn't expected Shea's behavoir with David's targets. Katja had taken a hard hit in the fight, but luckily, the Frogs had botched her staking. Shea had thrown her out of the way so that they couldn't realize she wasn't dead... and finish the job. Shea had never turned anyone, but Katja stayed with her out of loyalty. The two of them still held value in human life, but they would feed to survive.

Katja pondered this for a moment. She didn't know if it was the guy, or the surprisingly successful hunters that Shea didn't want to deal with. "Sleep all day. Party all night. Never grow old. Never die," Katja told her.

A wry smile crossed Shea's lips. "It's supposed to be fun to be vampire."

THE/END THE/END THE/END THE/END THE/END THE/END THE/END THE/END THE/END THE/END THE/END THE/END

_Thank you to all of you who read and reviewed the story. I hope you enjoyed it! I know some of you are wondering if Shea was just aspiring to be the head vampire, or if she just fell in love with Gabriel. I'm going to leave that one up to you to decide. If there's enough requests, I'll give a little more insight into Shea's mindset in the prequel._

_Special thanks to Ghostwriter for staying with the story from the beginning. Your support and interest are greatly appreciated._

_Also, thanks to Kaya Nah for taking a break from her own stories to look over this one for me. It's appreciated more than you know. _

_The prequel right now is mostly just an idea. If it's wanted, I'll do it, but it's not on my mind as much as this one does. The idea came about for a prequel when I realized that some may have a problem on how little information there is about Shea. That was intentional for this story, she needed to be mysterious considering all the secrets she was hiding._

_Thank you all for reading! ---Ruxy_


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